crayfish

Meanings

1. Any of numerous freshwater decapod crustaceans in superfamily Astacoidea or Parastacoidea, resembling the related lobster but usually much smaller.
2. A freshwater crustacean (family Cambaridae), sometimes used as an inexpensive seafood or as fish bait.
3. A rock lobster (family Palinuridae).
4. A freshwater crayfish (family Parastacidae), such as the gilgie, marron, or yabby.
5. The species Thenus orientalis of the slipper lobster family (Scyllaridae).

1. To catch crayfish.
2. Alternative spelling of crawfish (to backpedal, desert, or withdraw).

Etymology

Alteration (by folk etymological influence of fish) of Middle English crevis (whence modern dialectal crevis), from Old French crevice ("crayfish"; > Modern French: écrevisse), from Frankish *krebitja (“crayfish”), diminutive of Frankish *krebit (“crab”), from Proto-Germanic *krabitaz (“crab, cancer”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ-, *grebʰ- (“to scratch, crawl”), or from a substrate word folk-etymologically influenced by this root. Akin to Old High German krebiz (Modern German Krebs (“crustacean, crab, crayfish”)), Middle Low German krēvet (“crab, crayfish”), Dutch kreeft (“crayfish, lobster”), Old English crabba (“crab”). More at crab. Doublet of crevette, crevis, and Krebs.