Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny of many swimming, often edible, crustaceans, chiefly of the infraorder Caridea or the suborder Dendrobranchiata, with slender legs, long whiskers and a long abdomen.
nounThe flesh of such crustaceans.
Sentence Examples
She's made shrimp dumplings and added shiitakes with Sichuan pepper.
This chick is like a shrimp: I like everything about her but her head.
At the beachside restaurant, we ordered a plate of fried ____ as an appetizer.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The seafood restaurant is famous for its delicious grilled ____ served with a spicy garlic dipping sauce.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-?
Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerbʰ-der.
Proto-Indo-European *skrembʰ-
Proto-Germanic *skrimbaną
Proto-Germanic *skrimpaną
Proto-Germanic *skrimpazder.?
Middle English schrimpe
English shrimp
From Middle English schrimpe (“shrimp, puny person”), possibly from or related to Middle Low German schrempen (“to wrinkle”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skrimpaz (“shrivelled”), from Proto-Germanic *skrimpaną (“to shrivel”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerbʰ-.
See also Middle High German schrimpf (“a scratch, minor wound”), Norwegian skramp (“thin horse, thin man”); also Old English sċrimman (“to shrink”) and scrimp, Middle High German schrimpfen (“to shrink, dry up”), Swedish skrympa (“to shrink”); also Lithuanian skrembti (“to crust over, stiffen”), and possibly Albanian shkrumb (“embers, ashes; crumble”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Butter well a deep dish, upon which place a thick layer of pounded biscuit; having picked and boiled your shrimps, put them upon the biscuit; a layer of shrimps, with small pieces of butter, a little pepper, mace or nutmeg."
— 1851, Sarah Rutledge, “A Lady of Charleston”, in The Carolina Housewife, published 2013, unnumbered page:
"Shrimp farming is in its infancy in Africa. but Asia has most of the world's shrimp farms."
— 1998, Claude E. Boyd, Pond Aquaculture Water Quality Management, page 605:
"Most shrimps belong to one of several families of the Infraorder Caridea (Chapter 4). However, coral shrimps and Venus shrimps are so different from the rest that a separate infraorder is warranted."
— 2004, Gary C. B. Poore, Shane T. Ahyong, Marine Decapod Crustacea of Southern Australia: A Guide to Identification, page 145:
"America's favorite seafood, shrimp has always been a big seller at the Home Port. On any given day, we usually served around 40 to 50 pounds of shrimp."
— 2011, Will Holtham, Home Port Cookbook: Beloved Recipes from Martha's Vineyard, page 142:
"How many shrimps do you have to eat / Before you make your skin turn pink? / Eat too much and you'll get sick / Shrimps are pretty rich"
— 2014, Kero Kero Bonito, “Flamingo” (overall work in English and Japanese):