shrimp

[shrimp]

noun

plural

shrimps ,

plural

shrimp .

1. any of several small, long-tailed, chiefly marine crustaceans of the decapod suborder Natania, certain species of which are used as food.

2. Informal.,  a diminutive or insignificant person.

verb (used without object)

1. to catch or try to catch shrimps.

adjective

1. (of food) made with or containing shrimp.

   shrimp salad.

2. of or relating to shrimp or their catching, processing, and marketing.

   a shrimp boat.

shrimp

/ ʃrɪmp /

noun

1. any of various chiefly marine decapod crustaceans of the genus Crangon and related genera, having a slender flattened body with a long tail and a single pair of pincers

2. any of various similar but unrelated crustaceans, such as the opossum shrimp and mantis shrimp

3. Also called: freshwater shrimp. any of various freshwater shrimplike amphipod crustaceans of the genus Gammarus, esp G. pulex

4. Also called: sand shrimp. any of various shrimplike amphipod crustaceans of the genus Gammarus, esp G. locusta See also opossum shrimp

5. informal,  a diminutive person, esp a child

verb

1. (intr) to fish for shrimps

Other Word Forms

• shrimplike adjective
• shrimper noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrimp¹

1300–50; Middle English shrimpe crustacean, puny person; akin to Middle High German schrimpfen to contract, Old English scrimman to shrink

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrimp¹

C14: probably of Germanic origin; compare Middle Low German schrempen to shrink; see _scrimp , _crimp

Example Sentences

The man is so buff that my father would look like a shrimp by comparison.

Read more on Literature

We order fried shrimp and cold beers and remember that Jake in the end liked Robert Cohn.

Read more on Salon

Their salt-baked fish and shrimp are incredible—everything is so fresh.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Products with mid- to late-October sell-by dates included Sprouts Farmers Market smoked mozzarella pasta salad and Scott & Jon’s shrimp scampi with linguini bowl, a precooked frozen meal.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

We started with a refreshing cucumber salad dressed in chili and sesame oil, then moved on to Kurobuta pork soup dumplings, shrimp and Kurobuta pork spicy wontons and more — each bite expertly balanced and juicy.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• cramped 
• limited 
• meager 
• microscopic 
• miniature 
• minuscule 
• modest 
• narrow 
• paltry 
• poor 
• short 
• slight 
• small-scale 
• young