scampi
scampi Lexical Profile
scampi Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A culinary dish consisting of large prawns, shrimp, or langoustine tails, typically sautéed in butter, olive oil, garlic, and white wine in American cuisine, or coated in breadcrumbs or batter and deep-fried in British cuisine.
"She ordered a plate of linguine with garlic scampi and a side salad for dinner."
A slim, orange-pink marine crustacean (Nephrops norvegicus, family Nephropidae) native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, having long, narrow claws and prized for its edible tail meat.
"Commercial trawlers in the North Sea harvest scampi from burrows in the muddy seabed."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although originally the Italian plural of 'scampo', in English 'scampi' is used as an uncountable mass noun or a plural noun that takes either a singular or plural verb depending on whether a dish or individual crustaceans are meant.
• Rhymes for scampi
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 20th century from Italian 'scampi' (plural of 'scampo'), via Venetian dialect, ultimately derived from Ancient Greek 'kampē' meaning a bend, winding, or caterpillar, referring to the curved body of the crustacean.