plural shrimp or shrimps
1
: any of numerous mostly small and marine decapod crustaceans (suborders Dendrobranchiata and Pleocyemata) having a slender elongated body, a compressed abdomen, and a long spiny rostrum and including some (especially family Penaeidae) that are commercially important as food
also
: a small crustacean (such as an amphipod or a branchiopod) resembling the true shrimp
2
usually disparaging
: a very small or puny person or thing
Examples of shrimp in a Sentence
Noun
He's a little shrimp of a boy.
the boy was just a shrimp until his teens, when he had a growth spurt
Recent Examples on the Web
Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
This elegant establishment has an expansive menu with shrimp and clam linguine, cioppino, and steaks seared to perfection.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
That's more restrictive than the endless promotion, which at one point offered nonstop shrimp for $20.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Gulfers—as shrimpers who ply the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are called—sometimes find golf balls mixed in with their Gulf of Mexican shrimp.
—Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrimp
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Noun
The menu is a wonderland of seafood, from clams in white wine to seafood soup with shrimp clams and mussels.
—Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
This elegant establishment has an expansive menu with shrimp and clam linguine, cioppino, and steaks seared to perfection.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
That's more restrictive than the endless promotion, which at one point offered nonstop shrimp for $20.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Gulfers—as shrimpers who ply the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are called—sometimes find golf balls mixed in with their Gulf of Mexican shrimp.
—Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrimp
Cite this Entry
“Shrimp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrimp. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shrimp
1 of 2 noun
plural shrimps or shrimp
1
: any of numerous small mostly marine shellfish that are crustaceans related to the lobsters, that have a long slender body, an abdomen that is very thin from side to side, and long legs, and that include some important as food
2
: a very small or unimportant person or thing
shrimp
2 of 2 verb
: to fish for or catch shrimps
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