crawfish
crawfish Lexical Profile
crawfish Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A freshwater crustacean resembling a small lobster, typically found in streams, rivers, and swamps.
"We spent the afternoon catching crawfish in the shallow creek behind the house."
American The edible meat of the freshwater crustacean, a prominent staple in Southern United States cuisine.
"For dinner, the restaurant served a delicious crawfish étouffée over rice."
• verb
American To retreat from a previous position, promise, or opinion; to backpedal.
"When pressed for details on the new tax policy, the politician began to crawfish and abruptly changed the subject."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'crawfish', 'crayfish', and 'crawdad' refer to the exact same animal, 'crawfish' is predominantly used in the American South and is the standard term in Cajun and Creole culinary contexts.
• Rhymes for crawfish
Word Origin & Etymology
Altered by folk etymology from Middle English 'crevis', which derives from Old French 'crevice' and ultimately from Old High German 'krebiz' (meaning 'crab'). The ending was modified to '-fish' due to the animal's aquatic habitat.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.