prawn

[ prawn ]

noun

1. any of various shrimplike decapod crustaceans of the genera Palaemon, Penaeus, etc., certain of which are used as food.

verb (used with object)

1. to catch prawns, as for food.

prawn

/ prɔːn /

noun

1. any of various small edible marine decapod crustaceans of the genera Palaemon, Penaeus, etc, having a slender flattened body with a long tail and two pairs of pincers
2. come the raw prawn informal.
   to attempt deception

Derived Forms

• ˈprawner, noun

Other Words From

• prawner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prawn¹

1400–50; late Middle English prane, of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of prawn¹

C15: of obscure origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. come the raw prawn, Australian Slang. to try to impose on or deceive someone (followed by with ).

Example Sentences

The iconic Stagecoach Inn hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1959, and the restaurant is still known for its crispy hand-breaded prawns, prime rib, and steak and beans.

From Eater

PRAWN COCKTAILThis is also delicious if you replace the shrimp with smoked salmon or cooked crab.

From The Daily Beast

Similar in appearance and often used synonymously—and erroneously—the shrimp and the prawn are two different creatures.

From The Daily Beast

After a lunch of prawn curry and rice at the Bunder, you may want to visit the Lighthouse Hill and its vicinity.

From The Daily Beast

Among them are the shrimp and prawn, thin-shelled, active crustaceans common along our eastern coast.

From Project Gutenberg

They strike the water with great force, and so send the Prawn or Shrimp quickly backwards.

From Project Gutenberg

To move quickly, the Shrimp or Prawn merely bends his body, then straightens it.

From Project Gutenberg

When the Prawn or Shrimp is not in a hurry, he swims slowly but surely with the little paddles, or "swimmerets."

From Project Gutenberg

To tell a live Shrimp from a Prawn, look at the long pointed beak which juts out from the front of the head.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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