snapping shrimp

noun

1. any common shrimp of the family Alphaeidae, distinguished by the snapping sound made by its enlarged claw.

Word History and Origins

Origin of snapping shrimp¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Before and after the hurricane, they found no major differences in the sound pressure levels associated with reef fish, though there was a small shift in some pressure levels associated with the snapping shrimp.

From Popular-Science