spiny lobster

American

noun

any of several edible crustaceans of the family Palinuridae, differing from the true lobsters in having a spiny shell and lacking the large pincers.

spiny lobster British

noun

Also called: rock lobster, crawfish, langouste. any of various large edible marine decapod crustaceans of the genus Palinurus and related genera, having a very tough spiny carapace

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

spiny lobsters

plural

Etymology

Origin of spiny lobster

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

spiny lobster

The waters around Sark are home to species including European spiny lobster, rays, catsharks, octopus and pink sea fans.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

California’s spiny lobster season opened in October and closed on March 18.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

While there are several types of lobster, such as the clawless spiny lobster and the blue European lobster, American lobsters are the most popular among consumers.

From New York Times ● Sep. 13, 2022

In the Keys, the bag limit for spiny lobster is six per person, per boat, the Herald reported.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2021

In 1928, a spiny lobster cannery was established, but when the company went bankrupt in 1931, seven workers were abandoned.

From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023