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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lobster
  plural
• lobsters
  plural

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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

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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

Your delivery ticket leaves out the number your dealer watches, the way a menu leaves out what the restaurant paid for the lobster.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

"The industry has really been squeezed by costs going up quite a bit... but the price of lobster is actually at its lowest" in years, Dayton said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

Partygoers drank champagne and snacked on miniature lobster rolls, and cheered when Jaguar played a video of the Type 01 driving through the streets of Manhattan and appearing to arrive at the venue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Jordan’s lobster napkin cuff holder at the dining table in her home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

I saw my mother rounding the corner, heading for the lobster tank and Charlie.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

Today, Canada's lobsters are "doing better," Brady told AFP, because while temperature increases in Maine waters are stressing lobster populations, "that's not the case up in Canada."

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

Some specimens preserve flap-like structures on the abdomen resembling features seen in modern crustaceans such as lobsters, raising the possibility that the giant scorpion could move between water and land.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

After our 90-minute, $60 tour, Martin sold lobsters to go for $12.50 a piece, regardless of weight—a bargain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 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

And not only here but in other inlets nearby are very large lobster pounds crawling with those dark- shelled Maine lobsters from the dark water which are the best lobsters in the world.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

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Related Words

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

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