English · Food & Drink
shrimp
/ʃrɪmp/
[/ʃrɪmp/]
small edible shellfish
Intermediatenoun
Definition
A shrimp is a small sea creature with a shell, eaten as food.
Example
She tossed the pink shrimp into the hot pan, where they curled and cooked in seconds.
She tossed the pink shrimp into the hot pan, where they curled and cooked in seconds.
Etymology
From Middle English 'shrimpe', perhaps related to words meaning to shrink or shrivel.
How & Where It’s Used
A popular shellfish; informally a 'shrimp' is a very small person.