crawfish

1 of 2

noun

craw·​fish ˈkrȯ-ˌfish How to pronounce crawfish (audio)

crawfish

2 of 2

verb

crawfished; crawfishing; crawfishes

intransitive verb

: to retreat from a position : back out
I crawfished as fast as I couldMark Twain

Examples of crawfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The couple enjoy eating and cooking together — everything from crawfish to bologna, gumbo, turkey legs and donuts. Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 8 Oct. 2023 Unlike some crab boil spots, Surfing Crab splits the shell and de-veins its shrimp, but getting the meat out of the crawfish and crabs takes effort. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2023 Every April, residents come together to cook roughly 25,000 pounds of crawfish for a festival that draws people from all across Texas. Caroline Kitchener, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Sep. 2023 Besides the Birds This is the land of crawfish and zydeco, where every meal is an occasion. Alexandra Marvar, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2023 The restaurant is also serving a crawfish boil with one pound of crawfish, tortillas, rice, beans and a Cajun salsa for $19.99. Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2023 People were used to living off the land, following crawfish, alligator, crab, shrimp, and duck seasons. Millie Brigaud, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2023 According to Food Beast, the ice cream really does contain garlic, butter, and Cajun seasoning, all mixed in with sweet ice cream and real crawfish. Stacey Leasca, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2023 His uncle introduced him to some of his favorite spots in California and Arizona for fishing, crawfish trapping and clamming. The Arizona Republic, 9 Aug. 2023
Verb
Mud Bugs Bar and Grill offers everything from traditional jambalaya and gumbos to crawfish po’boys and catfish atchafalaya to bourbon bread pudding and New Orleans beignets. Dallas News, 6 Jan. 2022 From gumbo and jambalaya to crawfish by the pound, Frisco has a variety of food specials to celebrate Mardi Gras, which ends March 1. Dallas News, 6 Jan. 2022 But on the point of tuna tartare: Would the senator from Louisiana give a pass to crawfish étouffée? Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 Mar. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crawfish.' 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

Noun

by folk etymology from Middle English crevis, kraveys

First Known Use

Noun

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crawfish was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near crawfish

Cite this Entry

“Crawfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crawfish. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

crawfish

noun
craw·​fish
ˈkrȯ-ˌfish

More from Merriam-Webster on crawfish

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