lobster

The word “lobster” means a large marine crustacean with a hard shell and large front claws, turning red when cooked and prized as seafood. In plain terms, a prized shellfish with claws, or informally, sunburnt skin the same shade of red.

“Lobster” is pronounced LOB-stuh (/ˈlɑb.stɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “lobster” used in a sentence: “We ordered grilled lobster with melted butter for dinner.”

Words with a similar meaning to “lobster” include sea locust.

Depending on how it is used, “lobster” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “lobster” comes from Latin. From Old English loppestre, possibly a corruption of Latin locusta ("grasshopper" or a shrimp-like crustacean).

“Lobster” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Lobster” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large marine crustacean with a hard shell and large front claws, turning red when cooked and prized as seafood.

A lobster's shell contains a pigment that is normally masked by other proteins while the animal is alive, and cooking breaks down those proteins, revealing the red colour that gives cooked lobster its familiar bright red appearance.

Both are marine crustaceans, but a lobster has a long body with large front claws, while a crab has a shorter, broader body and typically lacks the same elongated tail and claw structure. Lobster is also generally considered a more prized seafood item.

As an adjective, lobster describes a bright red colour, and it is used informally to describe skin that has turned that same bright red shade from sunburn, drawing a direct comparison to a cooked lobster's shell.