Meanings
-
1
noun
chiefly US: a small freshwater crustacean resembling a lobster; a crayfish
Children found a crawfish beneath a stone at the creek's edge.
-
2
noun
a spiny lobster or another lobsterlike marine crustacean
The diver saw a large crawfish sheltering in the reef.
-
3
verb
US informal: to retreat, back away, or withdraw from a commitment
He crawfished when the argument became dangerous.
Thesaurus
Etymology
A folk-etymological alteration of crayfish, earlier crevis or crevice from Old French crevice. Because the final syllable sounded like fish, English reshaped the word accordingly. The American retreating verb compares backward movement with a crawfish's motion.