crawfish

English

Etymology

1620s, folk etymology from Middle English crevis, from Old French crevice (French écrevisse), influenced by fish. Compare crayfish.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɒˌfɪʃ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

crawfish (countable and uncountable, plural crawfishes or crawfish)

1. (Southern US, New York and Western US) Any of various freshwater crustaceans: crayfish.
2. (South Africa) Any of various marine crustaceans, rock lobster; especially Jasus lalandii, the Cape crawfish.
3. (Quebec, Canada, slang, derogatory) A slur against English-Canadians used in some corners of Quebec (including the Gaspé).

Usage notes

• See the usage notes (and compare the senses) at crayfish.

Synonyms

• (freshwater crustaceans): crawdad, crawldad, crawlfish, crayfish, mudbug, yabby (Australia)

Derived terms

• crawchie
• crawfishy

 

Translations

crayfish — see crayfish

slur against Anglo-Canadians in parts of Quebec

Verb

crawfish (third-person singular simple present crawfishes, present participle crawfishing, simple past and past participle crawfished)

1. (intransitive) To fish for crawfish.
2. (intransitive, colloquial, Southern US) To backpedal, desert or withdraw (also used with out).
   • 1968, Charles Portis, True Grit:

     I have never been one to flinch or crawfish when faced with an unpleasant task.

Translations

to backpedal

• Spanish: recular (es)

Further reading

• “crawfish”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “crawfish, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.