crawdad

noun

craw·​dad ˈkrȯ-ˌdad How to pronounce crawdad (audio)
: crayfish sense 1
used chiefly west of the Appalachians

Examples of crawdad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Link, along with several other waterfowl biologists, also cited the growing prevalence of crawdad farming and replacement of rice with sugar cane. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 14 Jan. 2026 It’s also hosted an annual crawdad festival each summer that draws thousands of tourists. Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2025 Parsley, now a co-chair of the neighborhood association, remembered plucking crawdads from the same creek as a child. Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 29 May 2025 Much of my summer breaks from school were spent digging for crawdads under creek rocks and tubing lazily down the Oconaluftee River. Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for crawdad

Word History

Etymology

alteration of crawfish

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crawdad was in 1878

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crawdad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crawdad. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

crawdad

noun
craw·​dad ˈkrȯ-ˌdad How to pronounce crawdad (audio)
dialect

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