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/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

crawfish (countable and uncountable, plural crawfishes or crawfish)

1. (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)

2. (South Africa) Any of various marine crustaceans, rock lobster; especially Jasus lalandii, the Cape crawfish.
3. (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

• 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.
   • 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:

     As a matter of fact I had to go off at a moment's notice to arrange our connection at the coast. Fellow owning the bungalow wanted to 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.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “crawfish, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.