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 group spent about $320 on the meal, including green beans, ribs, fried rice, shrimp dumplings, dessert dumplings and drinks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Some decapods, like lobsters and shrimp, have a thick cylindrical abdomen with a muscular tail for snapping backwards at high speed and burrowing on the seabed.

Read more on BBC

Steve Smith, a 65-year-old former police officer from Colorado, has reduced his grocery bill by buying more shrimp instead of salmon and purchasing burger meat instead of rib-eye steaks.

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The tariffs are a hammer blow for India’s biggest exporters, including apparel manufacturers, furniture makers, shrimp farms and diamond traders.

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My late grandmother, in particular, had a predictable, beloved spread: shrimp cocktail with horseradish-laced sauce; the supermarket veggie platter with ranch; crockpot meatballs simmered in barbecue sauce and grape jelly; salsa with Tostito’s scoops.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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