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Synonyms

lobster

American  
[lob-ster] / ˈlɒb stər /

noun

plural

lobster,

plural

lobsters

  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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lobster

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hutchings uses scallops, large shrimp and fish fillets, but other options like oysters, lobster tails, crabs, mussels and clams are perfectly acceptable.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Fu Sheng, chief executive of Cheetah Mobile, relentlessly shared how he "raised his lobster" on social media - a phrase users adopted to describe training the assistant for their requirements.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

But the lobster fever, as it has been dubbed, has also sparked security concerns.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Their fresh Maine lobster roll is excellent, and they have the best oysters in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

He was getting the skiff ready to pull lobster traps.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.