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Glite Dictionary
skeleton shrimp

skeleton shrimp

8.7
A small thin sea animal that lives on seaweed and looks like a tiny mantis
  • noun
  • /ˈskɛlɪtən ʃrɪmp/
translation icon : gamba esqueleto
  • The skeleton shrimp clung to the seaweed, perfectly camouflaged among the green strands.

Examples

  • Due to its bizarre shape, the skeleton shrimp is sometimes mistaken for a piece of debris.

  • Divers often spot skeleton shrimp swaying gently in shallow coastal waters.

  • The skeleton shrimp clung to the seaweed.

  • I saw a skeleton shrimp for the first time.

  • Divers often spot skeleton shrimp swaying gently in shallow coastal waters.

  • The skeleton shrimp clung to the seaweed, perfectly camouflaged among the green strands.

  • Due to its bizarre shape, the skeleton shrimp is sometimes mistaken for a piece of debris.

Synonyms

Caprella
vsskeleton shrimp
  • Specialized
9.9

A small thin sea animal like a tiny shrimp that clings to seaweed

is the common name for these crustaceans rather than a taxonomic genus

Surface Forms

skeleton shrimp singular
skeleton shrimps plural

Morphology

skeleton + shrimp

The noun is a descriptive compound: 'skeleton' (suggesting a bony or skeletal appearance) modifying 'shrimp' (a small marine crustacean), so the overall meaning of a shrimp that looks thin or skeleton‑like is directly inferable. This kind of appearance‑based compounding is common across languages and follows regular composition patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely understand the referent.

Etymology

The name skeleton shrimp comes from how the animal looks: it is very thin and often see-through, so it looks like a tiny skeleton clinging to seaweed even though it is a shrimp. That's why the name means a 'small, thin sea animal'.