lobster

noun

lob·​ster ˈläb-stər How to pronounce lobster (audio)
often attributive
1
: any of a family (Nephropidae and especially Homarus americanus) of large edible marine decapod crustaceans that have stalked eyes, a pair of large claws, and a long abdomen and that include species from coasts on both sides of the North Atlantic and from the Cape of Good Hope
2
lobsterlike adjective

Illustration of lobster

Illustration of lobster
  • lobster 1

Examples of lobster in a Sentence

I had lobster for dinner.
Recent Examples on the Web Additional protein: Boost the dish with the addition of lobster or chicken. Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Ocean Motion: India food critic, journalist, TV personality and talk show host, Vir Sangi accompanies Rosenthal to Trishna, a superb seafood restaurant, for fish curry, charcoaled jumbo prawns, lobster in chili sauce and butter-garlic crab. Laura Manske, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Share [Findings] Climate change was expected to drive American lobsters to seek deeper waters, beavers to colonize new parts of Canada, and wolf spiders in the high Arctic to produce a second annual brood. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 Customers can combine meats like lobster and steak for a surf-and-turf burrito, get fresh-cut potato wedges coated in a spicy seasoning blend or add a sweet potato bar for dessert. Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Within them, researchers spotted squat lobsters, sea urchins, and small crustaceans known as amphipods. Priya Shukla, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Today, the menu has expanded to include tortas, burritos, nachos and fillings like lobster, filet mignon and yams with wild rice. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Think lobster rolls, seafood towers, crab cakes, grilled octopus. Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024 Afterwards, drive north to The Sea Shack takeout at the northernmost tip of the peninsula for a fresh lobster roll. Laura Hampson, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lobster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English loppestre, from loppe spider

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lobster was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lobster

Cite this Entry

“Lobster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lobster. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lobster

noun
lob·​ster ˈläb-stər How to pronounce lobster (audio)
: any of several large edible marine crustaceans with stalked eyes, a pair of large claws, and a long abdomen
also : spiny lobster

More from Merriam-Webster on lobster

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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