What is "shrimp"

Shrimp \Shrimp\, n. [OE. shrimp; -- probably so named from its shriveled appearance. See Shrimp, v.]

1. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. Any one of numerous species of macruran Crustacea belonging to Crangon and various allied genera, having a slender body and long legs. Many of them are used as food. The larger kinds are called also prawns. See Illust. of Decapoda.

   2. In a more general sense, any species of the macruran tribe Caridea, or any species of the order Schizopoda, having a similar form.

   3. In a loose sense, any small crustacean, including some amphipods and even certain entomostracans; as, the fairy shrimp, and brine shrimp. See under Fairy, and Brine.

2. Figuratively, a little wrinkled man; a dwarf; -- in contempt.

   This weak and writhled shrimp.
   --Shak.

   Opossum shrimp. (Zo["o]l.) See under Opossum.

   Spector shrimp, or Skeleton shrimp (Zo["o]l.), any slender amphipod crustacean of the genus Caprella and allied genera. See Illust. under L[ae]modopoda.

   Shrimp catcher (Zo["o]l.), the little tern ( Sterna minuta).

   Shrimp net, a dredge net fixed upon a pole, or a sweep net dragged over the fishing ground.

Shrimp \Shrimp\, v. t. [Cf. AS. scrimman to dry up, wither, MHG. schrimpfen to shrink, G. schrumpfen, Dan. skrumpe, skrumpes, Da. & Sw. skrumpen shriveled. Cf. Scrimp, Shrink, Shrivel.] To contract; to shrink. [Obs.]

early 14c., "slender, edible marine crustacean," probably from Old Norse skreppa "thin person," from Proto-Germanic *skrimp- (see scrimp). Related to Old English scrimman "to shrink;" the connecting notion is probably "thinness" (compare Danish dialectal skrimpe "thin cattle"). The meaning "puny person" in English is attested from late 14c.; an especially puny one might be a shrimplet (1680s).

"fish for shrimp," 1801 (implied in shrimping ), from shrimp (n.). Related: Shrimper (1808).

Etymology 1 n. 1 Any of many swimming, often edible crustaceans, chiefly of the infraorder Caridea or the suborder Dendrobranchiata, with slender legs, long whiskers and a long abdomen. 2 (context uncountable English) The flesh of such crustaceans. 3 (context slang English) A small, puny or unimportant person. vb. (context intransitive English) To fish for '''shrimp'''. Etymology 2

vb. To contract; to shrink.

v. fish for shrimp

1. n. disparaging terms for small people [syn: runt, peewee, half-pint]

2. any of various edible decapod crustaceans [syn: prawn]

3. small slender-bodied chiefly marine decapod crustaceans with a long tail and single pair of pincers; many species are edible

Shrimp are stalk-eyed swimming crustaceans.

Shrimp can also refer to:

The term shrimp is used to refer to some decapod crustaceans, although the exact animals covered can vary. Used broadly, it may cover any of the groups with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata. In some fields, however, the term is used more narrowly, and may be restricted to Caridea, to smaller species of either group, or to only the marine species. Under the broader definition, shrimp may be synonymous with prawn, covering stalk-eyed swimming crustaceans with long narrow muscular tails ( abdomens), long whiskers ( antennae), and slender legs. They swim forward by paddling with swimmerets on the underside of their abdomens. Crabs and lobsters have strong walking legs, whereas shrimp have thin fragile legs which they use primarily for perching.

Shrimp are widespread and abundant. They can be found feeding near the seafloor on most coasts and estuaries, as well as in rivers and lakes. To escape predators, some species flip off the seafloor and dive into the sediment. They usually live from one to seven years. Shrimp are often solitary, though they can form large schools during the spawning season. There are thousands of species, and usually there is a species adapted to any particular habitat. Any small crustacean which resembles a shrimp tends to be called one.

They play important roles in the food chain and are an important food source for larger animals ranging from fish to whales. The muscular tails of many shrimp are edible to humans, and they are widely caught and farmed for human consumption. Commercial shrimp species support an industry worth 50 billion dollars a year, and in 2010 the total commercial production of shrimp was nearly 7 million tonnes. Shrimp farming became more prevalent during the 1980s, particularly in China, and by 2007 the harvest from shrimp farms exceeded the capture of wild shrimp. There are significant issues with excessive bycatch when shrimp are captured in the wild, and with pollution damage done to estuaries when they are used to support shrimp farming. Many shrimp species are small as the term shrimp suggests, about long, but some shrimp exceed . Larger shrimp are more likely to be targeted commercially, and are often referred to as prawns, particularly in Britain.