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prawn

prawn

24 1.0
A small sea animal like a shrimp with a hard shell that people eat
  • noun
  • /prɔːn/
  • UK
: gamba (Esp.)
  • She added the prawns to the pasta along with a spicy tomato sauce.
  • prawn trawling
  • prawn fishery
  • prawn catch

We got red snapper, some prawns, octopus, skirt steak, swordfish.

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Examples

  • I skipped the salad and chose the prawns as my main course.

    Blog text (28)
  • We've marked off the spring roll, the pad Thai, the hot and sour prawn soup, and we smashed up the Curry paste.

  • I'm not sure what makes a prawn a king prawn and what makes it a normal prawn.

  • Then these are prawns with breakfast oats.

  • Word of warning, avoid the jumbo prawns.

  • The next course consisted of some prawns, beef, potato salad, and smoked trout.

    Blog text (28)
  • He's eating avocado vinaigrette and prawns.

  • The chef sautéed the prawns with garlic and lemon for a delicious appetizer.

  • On our trip to the coast, we enjoyed fresh prawns at the seafood restaurant.

Synonyms

shrimp
vsprawn
301 1.0

A small sea animal with a long body and ten legs that people eat

is the similar small sea animal described more generally
seafood
vsprawn
107 1.0

Animals from the sea that people eat, like fish and shellfish

is a single small shell animal rather than the broad category of edible sea life
shellfish
vsprawn
26 2.2

Meat from sea animals with a shell, like crab or clams

is a specific small edible sea animal, not the whole edible shell group
crustacean
vsprawn
  • Specialized
14 5.3

An animal with a hard outer shell, such as a crab or lobster

is the edible food item, not the broad biological group of arthropods
river prawn
vsprawn
  • Australian
1 5.1

A large freshwater shellfish people often eat that lives in rivers

is usually small and lives in the sea rather than freshwater
tropical prawn
vsprawn
  • UK
1 2.9

A small sea creature like a shrimp that lives in warm water and people eat

is the small sea animal generally, not only tropical forms
long-clawed prawn
vsprawn
  • Australian
7.9

A large edible freshwater shrimp from Australian rivers with very long claws

is normally small and marine rather than a very large freshwater form

Compounds

prawn cocktail
  • Archaic
1 2.7

A cold starter of prawns in a creamy pink sauce

river prawn
  • Australian
1 5.1

A large freshwater shellfish people often eat that lives in rivers

1 2.9

A small sea creature like a shrimp that lives in warm water and people eat

1 9.2

A large sea animal with strong front claws that hunts fish and crabs

long-clawed prawn
  • Australian
7.9

A large edible freshwater shrimp from Australian rivers with very long claws

9.9

People at events who act snobby, are picky about food and show little real interest

How Big

lobster
153 1.0
crab
117 1.0
prawn
  • UK
24 1.0
shrimp
301 1.0

Surface Forms

prawn singular
prawns plural

Etymology

Prawn comes from old northern European words for a small shellfish; long ago people used similar words for creatures like shrimp. Think of a prawn as a 'sea shrimp' with a shell and legs, so prawn means the small edible sea animal we eat.