# shrimp

/ˈʃɹɪmp/ (US) · /ʃɹˈɪmp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shrimp
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. the animal

noun · CEFR A2

a small shellfish with a long tail and many legs that lives in the sea.

For teachers: any of various small, aquatic decapod crustaceans, typically belonging to the suborder Dendrobranchiata or infraorder Caridea.

- The children found a tiny shrimp in a pool of water at the beach.
- Marine biologists observed the shrimp migrating toward deeper waters as the coastal temperatures began to fluctuate during the autumn months.

### 3. small person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

a person who is very small or thin.

For teachers: a derogatory term for a person perceived as small, weak, or physically unimposing.

- He was a bit of a shrimp in high school, but he grew much taller later.
- The older boys teased him, calling him a shrimp because he was the shortest student in the entire grade.

## Examples

- I ordered a plate of grilled shrimp for dinner.
- The chef carefully peeled the shrimp before adding them to the boiling pot of spicy broth.
- Marine biologists observed that certain species of shrimp maintain a symbiotic relationship with larger fish by removing parasites from their scales in exchange for protection.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.