any of various chiefly marine decapod crustaceans of the genus Crangon and related genera, having a slender flattened body with a long tail and a single pair of pincers
2.
any of various similar but unrelated crustaceans, such as the opossum shrimp and mantis shrimp
3. Also called: freshwater shrimp
any of various freshwater shrimplike amphipod crustaceans of the genus Gammarus, esp G. pulex
4. Also called: sand shrimp
any of various shrimplike amphipod crustaceans of the genus Gammarus, esp G. locusta
See also opossum shrimp
5. informal
a diminutive person, esp a child
verb
6. (intransitive)
to fish for shrimps
Derived forms
shrimper (ˈshrimper)
noun
Word origin
C14: probably of Germanic origin; compare Middle Low German schrempen to shrink; see scrimp, crimp
Examples of 'freshwater shrimp' in a sentence
freshwater shrimp
They are searching for such things as dragonfly larvae or freshwater shrimps.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Living alongside the birds are many aquatic animals, from great crested newts to freshwater shrimps, water boatmen and common toads.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It involved counting the populations mayflies, blue-winged olive flies, freshwater shrimps and other invertebrates, plus analysis of the water.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
On its way through the watercress beds, it collects freshwater shrimps, which the trout eat, giving a pale pinkness to their flesh.