lobster

noun

lob·​ster ˈläb-stər 

often attributive

1

: any of a family (Nephropidae and especially Homarus americanus) of large edible marine decapod crustaceans that have stalked eyes, a pair of large claws, and a long abdomen and that include species from coasts on both sides of the North Atlantic and from the Cape of Good Hope

2

: spiny lobster

lobsterlike

ˈläb-stər-ˌlīk 

adjective

Illustration of lobster

• lobster 1

Examples of lobster in a Sentence

I had lobster for dinner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fishing boats in bright, primary colors bob in the shelter of the stone-walled harbor, while the sea wall is adorned with a tangle of nets, lobster creels, and old buoys. —Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2024

Some of the East Coast’s top lobster rolls touch down in L.A. A colorful new tea room hopes to build community one cup at a time. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024

The new movie assumes that the audience is fully in the tank (lobster or otherwise) for these two, and if your enthusiasm for their brand of bickering and humor is waning, there’s not much else to offer. —James Grebey, TIME, 25 Oct. 2024

Share [Findings] Climate change was expected to drive American lobsters to seek deeper waters, beavers to colonize new parts of Canada, and wolf spiders in the high Arctic to produce a second annual brood. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English loppestre, from loppe spider

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lobster

• hanging lobster claw
• lobster claw
• lobster pot
• lobster shift
• lobster thermidor
• lobster trap
• Norway lobster
• rock lobster
• spiny lobster

Kids Definition

lobster

noun

lob·​ster ˈläb-stər 

: any of several large edible marine crustaceans with stalked eyes, a pair of large claws, and a long abdomen

also : spiny lobster