crayfish

noun

cray·fish ˈkrā-ˌfish

: any of numerous freshwater decapod crustaceans (especially families Astacidea, Cambaridae, and Parastacidae) resembling the lobster but usually much smaller

: spiny lobster

Examples of crayfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Roving like hungry jackals, smallmouth bass will move down and along drop-offs, hunting for the holdout crayfish, leeches, and insects along their way. —

Kubie Brown, Outdoor Life, 3 Oct. 2024 The fact that these crayfish tend to reproduce inside their burrows with their relatives would help the trait persist generation after generation. —

Byhumberto Basilio, science.org, 10 July 2024 At night in the Appalachian Mountains, the beam of Zackary Graham’s headlight illuminates hundreds of crayfish trudging through mud. —

Byhumberto Basilio, science.org, 10 July 2024 Following the zap, the crayfish were placed into separate tanks which had darker and lighter areas. —

Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 4 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for crayfish

Word History

Etymology

by folk etymology from Middle English crevis, from Anglo-French creveis, escreveice, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krebiz crab — more at crab

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of crayfish was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century