shrimp

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shrimp [noun] (ANIMAL)

a small sea creature with a thin shell, ten legs, and a long tail, or its flesh eaten as food

US /ʃrɪmp/ 
UK /ʃrɪmp/ 
Example: 

shrimp paste

Oxford Essential Dictionary

shrimp

 noun

1 (British) a small sea animal with a shell and a lot of legs that turns pink when you cook it. Shrimps are smaller than prawns.

2 American English for prawn

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

shrimp

shrimp /ʃrɪmp/ BrE AmE noun (plural shrimp or shrimps) [countable]

1. a small sea creature that you can eat, which has ten legs and a soft shell SYN prawn British English
2. someone who is very small – used humorously

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

shrimp

shrimp [shrimp shrimps shrimped shrimping]   [ʃrɪmp]    [ʃrɪmp]  noun

(pl. shrimps or shrimp)

1. a small shellfish that can be eaten, like a prawn but smaller. Shrimps turn pink when cooked.

2. (NAmE) =  prawn
grilled shrimp  
Word Origin:

Middle English: probably related to Middle Low German schrempen ‘to wrinkle’, Middle High German schrimpfen ‘to contract’, also to scrimp.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

shrimp / ʃrɪmp / noun [ C or U ] ( plural shrimps or shrimp ) ( UK also prawn ) (ANIMAL)

B1 a small sea creature with a thin shell, ten legs, and a long tail, or its flesh eaten as food:

shrimp paste

 

shrimp / ʃrɪmp / noun [ C ] ( plural shrimps ) informal disapproving (PERSON)

an extremely short person

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

shrimp

[ʃrɪ̱mp]
 shrimps
 N-COUNT
 (shrimp can also be used as the plural form.)
 Shrimps are small shellfish with long tails and many legs.
  Add the shrimp and cook for 30 seconds...
  I'm going to have shrimps for my tea.
 Syn:
 prawn

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

shrimp

shrimp /ˈʃrɪmp/ noun, pl shrimp or shrimps [count]
1 : a small shellfish that has a long body and legs and that is eaten as food - see color picture
- compare prawn
2 informal : a very small or unimportant person
• He's a little shrimp of a boy.