lobster

noun

lob·​ster ˈläb-stər 

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

: spiny lobster

lobsterlike

ˈläb-stər-ˌlīk 

adjective

Illustration of lobster

• lobster 1

Examples of lobster in a Sentence

I had lobster for dinner.

Recent Examples on the Web

And unlike lobster rolls, which have a pretty canonical form, sushi in Boston runs the gamut from highly traditional to the wildly inventive. — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026

Bill Kirby, the owner of Kirby's Lobster Shack who WMTV reports has more than four decades under his belt, and his crew hauled in the rare lobster last Wednesday during what was a routine day. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

This sandwich gets into indulgent territory with the lobster taking the rich mac and cheese up a notch. — Justin Brown, AJC.com, 20 Sep. 2026

My husband enjoyed one of their signature starters, the lobster bisque. — Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 18 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing lobster

• hanging lobster claw
• lobster claw
• lobster pot
• lobster shift
• lobster thermidor
• lobster trap
• Norway lobster
• rock lobster
• spiny lobster

Rhymes for lobster

• mobster

Kids Definition

lobster

noun

lob·​ster ˈläb-stər 

: any of several large edible marine crustaceans with stalked eyes, a pair of large claws, and a long abdomen

also : spiny lobster