prawn
prawn Lexical Profile
prawn Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The tender, savory flesh of a prawn or large shrimp when prepared and served as seafood.
"The coastal restaurant is famous for its grilled king prawn served with garlic butter and lemon."
A small, ten-legged marine or freshwater crustacean resembling a large shrimp, characterized by an elongated, compressed body, long antennae, branching gills, and three pairs of clawed legs.
"The marine biologist observed a translucent prawn darting backward among the rocks of the tidal pool."
• verb
To fish for or catch prawns, typically using nets or baited traps in shallow coastal waters.
"During the summer holidays, the children loved to prawn in the rocky pools at low tide."
Word Nuance & Usage
In culinary and everyday usage, 'prawn' and 'shrimp' are often used interchangeably, with 'prawn' generally favored in British and Commonwealth English for larger crustaceans; biologically, however, prawns belong to the suborder Dendrobranchiata and have branching gills and three pairs of clawed legs, whereas true shrimp belong to Pleocyemata and have plate-like gills and two pairs of claws.
• Rhymes for prawn
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.