crawdad
Americannoun
Usage
What does crawdad mean? Crawdad is American slang for a crayfish, a freshwater crustacean related to the lobster. Crustaceans are shellfish and include crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. Crawdad, crawdaddy, crawfish, and crayfish all refer to the same general type of animal, but there are several different species. Crawdad is mostly used in the Central Midwestern region of the United States, but its use extends to several states. Example: Missouri is crawdad country—we call ’em “Midwestern lobsters.”
Etymology
Origin of crawdad
An Americanism first recorded in 1900–05; craw(fish) + dad (perhaps dad 1 ); cf. doodad
Compare meaning
How does crawdad compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The chickadee flew in to replace a license plate featuring a crustacean that critics said looked more like a cooked crawdad than a Maine lobster, the state’s signature seafood.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 26, 2024
While crawdad season is earlier in the year, catfish fries and seafood boils happen year-round, special occasions or just for an excuse to get together.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 30, 2022
His words cut through me; I forgot the crawdad.
From New York Times • Jun. 15, 2021
Later we boiled the crawdad and ate them.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2016
There was a huge crawdad, six inches long, just sitting there.
From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
