lobster

American  

[lob-ster] / ˈlɒb stər /

noun

• lobster,
  plural
• lobsters
  plural

1. any of various large, edible, marine, usually dull-green, stalk-eyed decapod crustaceans of the family Homaridae, especially of the genus Homarus, having large, asymmetrical pincers on the first pair of legs, one used for crushing and the other for cutting and tearing: the shell turns bright red when cooked.

2. spiny lobster.

3. any of various similar crustaceans, as certain crayfishes.

4. the edible meat of these animals.

---

lobster British  

/ ˈlɒbstə /

noun

1. any of several large marine decapod crustaceans of the genus Homarus, esp H. vulgaris, occurring on rocky shores and having the first pair of limbs modified as large pincers

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

3. the flesh of any of these crustaceans, eaten as a delicacy

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lobster
  plural
• lobsters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lobster

before 1000; Middle English lopster, Old English loppestre literally, spidery creature ( loppe spider ( see lob ¹) + -stre -ster ); cf. lop ¹

Explanation

A lobster is a hard-shelled animal that lives in salt water and has two big front claws, or pincers. People who are familiar with red cooked lobsters might be surprised to see that when they're alive they are brown, gray, or even blue. Lobsters are large crustaceans, which means they're related to shrimp, crabs, crawfish, and even barnacles. They live and feed on the bottom of the ocean, crawling on their ten legs and eating fish, worms, and sea plants. As a food, lobster is considered a delicacy today — although before the mid-19th century, it was thought of as food for poor people and prisoners in coastal New England.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lobster lobsters

A plump shrimp concoction that reminds me of a lobster roll.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

The full food hygiene inspection report, released after a BBC Wales Freedom of Information request, revealed the restaurant was ordered to stop serving raw lobster, with "significant hazards" not properly identified.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

“Careful of the crabs!” called out its captain, Tom Martin, who offers lobster boat tours along the Portland waterfront from May through October.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

California’s spiny lobster season opened in October and closed on March 18.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Looking into Sookie’s cooler, I thought about the choking factor of the rubbery meat, but lobster was one of my favorite meals.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

A clawed caper at the Santa Monica Pier went awry despite “sophisticated” attempts by suspects to get away with poaching roughly three dozen spiny lobsters, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Split the lobsters lengthwise with a sharp, heavy knife, brush them with butter and grill them once your guests have arrived, since they cook very quickly.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Many were curious to find out more about the "lobsters".

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026

At Monday's "ClawCon" event in Tokyo, where many of the hundreds of participants were dressed as lobsters, OpenClaw demos were held on stage and experts helped attendees install their agents.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

Fiddler crabs bubbled and sputtered in their holes in the sand, and in the shallows little lobsters popped in and out of their tiny homes in the rubble and sand.

From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• clam
• conch
• crawfish
• crustacean
• mollusk
• mussel
• oyster
• prawn
• scallop
• shrimp
• snail