crawfish

== English == === Etymology === 1620s, folk etymology from Middle English crevis, from Old French crevice (French écrevisse), influenced by fish. Compare crayfish. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkɹɔˌfɪʃ/ === Noun === crawfish (countable and uncountable, plural crawfishes or crawfish) (United States, especially Southern US, Louisiana and Texas, Midwest, Western US) Any of various freshwater crustaceans: crayfish. Synonyms: crawdad, crawldad, crawlfish, crayfish, mudbug, yabby (Australia) (South Africa) Any of various marine crustaceans, rock lobster; especially Jasus lalandii, the Cape crawfish. (Quebec, Canada, slang, derogatory) An English-Canadian. Used in some corners of Quebec (including the Gaspé). ==== Usage notes ==== See the usage notes (and compare senses) at crayfish. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === crawfish (third-person singular simple present crawfishes, present participle crawfishing, simple past and past participle crawfished) (intransitive) To fish for crawfish. (intransitive, colloquial, Southern US) To backpedal, desert or withdraw (also used with out). ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === “crawfish”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. “crawfish, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.