noun
crawfish
KRAW-fihsh
noun
1
A freshwater crustacean similar to a small lobster, also called a crayfish, often eaten as seafood.
"They boiled crawfish with corn and potatoes for the party."
verb
1
Informal: to back out of a commitment or retreat from a position.
"The senator crawfished on his campaign promise as soon as he took office."
How to Use Crawfish
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the crustacean (a Southern U.S. variant of crayfish) or, informally, to retreat from a promise.
UK vs US
Mainly used in the Southern United States, especially Louisiana, where crawfish boils are a well-known tradition.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
crawfished past tense, crawfishes plural, crawfish plural, crawfishes singular
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Etymology
A folk-etymology respelling of the older word crevis (compare crayfish), reshaped in English because it sounded like "fish."