From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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.]
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Shrimp \Shrimp\, n. [OE. shrimp; -- probably so named from its
shriveled appearance. See {Shrimp}, v.]
1. (Zool.)
(a) 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}.
(b) In a more general sense, any species of the macruran
tribe {Caridea}, or any species of the order
Schizopoda, having a similar form.
(c) 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}.
[1913 Webster]
2. Figuratively, a little wrinkled man; a dwarf; -- in
contempt.
[1913 Webster]
This weak and writhled shrimp. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
{Opossum shrimp}. (Zool.) See under {Opossum}.
{Spector shrimp}, or {Skeleton shrimp} (Zool.), any slender
amphipod crustacean of the genus {Caprella} and allied
genera. See Illust. under {Laemodopoda}.
{Shrimp catcher} (Zool.), the little tern ({Sterna minuta}).
{Shrimp net}, a dredge net fixed upon a pole, or a sweep net
dragged over the fishing ground.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
shrimp
n 1: disparaging terms for small people [syn: {runt}, {shrimp},
{peewee}, {half-pint}]
2: any of various edible decapod crustaceans [syn: {prawn},
{shrimp}]
3: small slender-bodied chiefly marine decapod crustaceans with
a long tail and single pair of pincers; many species are
edible
v 1: fish for shrimp
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