bay shrimp

noun

1

: any of various small, pinkish shrimp (such as Pandalus borealis and P. jordani) harvested chiefly in cold northern marine waters and widely sold as food

… a Greek salad that arrived piled with bay shrimp—all simple, hearty and delicious.

—Barbara Tannenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2002

Served in an old-fashioned "tulip" sundae glass, the cocktail consists of dozens of tiny bay shrimp topped by a dollop of zippy red sauce.

—Greg Morago, Hartford (Connecticut) Courant, 6 Apr. 2003

2

: a shrimp (Crangon franciscorum) found in marine and estuarine waters along the Pacific coast of North America and caught chiefly for use as fish bait

Bay shrimp are a key building block in the bay's food chain. They are eaten by birds, such as blue herons and snowy egrets, as well as by fish such as striped bass.

—Paul Rogers, San Jose (California) Mercury News, 17 July 2003

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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