crayfish

[ krey-fish ]
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noun,plural (especially collectively) cray·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) cray·fish·es.
  1. Also called crawdad, crawdaddy. any freshwater decapod crustacean of the genera Astacus and Cambarus, closely related to but smaller than the lobsters.

  2. any of several similar marine crustaceans, especially the spiny lobster.

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Origin of crayfish

1
1350–1400; alteration (by folk etymology) of Middle English crevis<Middle French crevice<Old High German krebizcrab1

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British Dictionary definitions for crayfish

crayfish

esp US crawfish

/ (ˈkreɪˌfɪʃ) /


nounplural -fish or -fishes
  1. any freshwater decapod crustacean of the genera Astacus and Cambarus, resembling a small lobster

  2. any of various similar crustaceans, esp the spiny lobster

Origin of crayfish

1
C14: cray, by folk etymology, from Old French crevice crab, from Old High German krebiz + fish

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