ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lobster

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈɫɑbstɝ// UK //lˈɒbstɐ// lob·ster
  1. 1 sea creature / food (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a large sea animal with a hard shell and two big claws, often eaten as expensive seafood.

    a large marine crustacean with a stalked eye and five pairs of legs, the first of which is developed into large pincers.

    Example

    We went to a fancy restaurant on the coast and ordered fresh lobster for dinner.

    Example

    The local economy relies heavily on the export of live lobster, which are caught using traditional wooden traps in the cold Atlantic waters.
  2. 2 British soldier (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic British English Slang

    a historical nickname for a British soldier because of their bright red coats.

    a historical slang term for a British soldier, specifically referring to the iconic red coats worn by the infantry.

    Example

    In the old stories, the villagers hid when they saw the lobsters marching toward the town.

    Example

    The term 'lobster' was frequently used as a derogatory label by American colonists when referring to the occupying British regulars during the Revolutionary War.
    • redcoat
  3. 3 Australian currency (n.)
    C1 Advanced Dialect Slang Informal

    a slang name for an Australian twenty-dollar bill because it is red.

    a colloquialism for an Australian twenty-dollar banknote, derived from its distinctive reddish-orange colour.

    Example

    Can you lend me a lobster until I get to the bank tomorrow?

    Example

    He reached into his wallet and pulled out a couple of lobsters to pay for the round of drinks.
  4. 4 to catch lobsters (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to go out on a boat to catch lobsters for work or fun.

    to engage in the commercial or recreational fishing of lobsters.

    Example

    His family has been lobstering in this bay for three generations.

    Example

    The crew spent the entire season lobstering off the coast of Maine, despite the increasingly unpredictable weather conditions.

    Usage

    The verb is usually intransitive.
  5. 5 sunburnt (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate Informal

    having very red skin, usually from staying in the sun too long.

    exhibiting a bright red complexion, typically as a result of acute solar erythema or extreme embarrassment.

    Example

    He forgot to wear sunscreen at the beach and came home looking like a lobster.

    Example

    After spending the entire afternoon hiking without a hat, his face was positively lobster by the time he reached the summit.
Origin

From Middle English loppestere, lopster, from Old English loppestre, lopustre, lopystre, of uncertain origin. Some believe it to be a corruption of Latin lō̆custa (“grasshopper, locust”) + the Old English feminine agent suffix -estre. In Latin, the phrase lō̆custa marīna (literally "sea-grasshopper") signified a type of crustacean (shrimp or lobster). Alternatively, from Old English lobbe, loppe (“spider”) + the Old English feminine agent suffix -estre, equivalent to lop + -ster.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026