lobster

noun

lob·​ster ˈläb-stər 

often attributive

1

: any of a family (Nephropidae and especially Homarus americanus) of large edible marine decapod crustaceans that have stalked eyes, a pair of large claws, and a long abdomen and that include species from coasts on both sides of the North Atlantic and from the Cape of Good Hope

2

: spiny lobster

lobsterlike

ˈläb-stər-ˌlīk 

adjective

Illustration of lobster

• lobster 1

Examples of lobster in a Sentence

I had lobster for dinner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Here’s the breakdown: 24 lobsters, 18 romesco jars, 36 au lait bottles, 40 hog plums, 36 pea flowers, 50 sardines, 50 shallots, 40 blue maize, 36 cardamom, 40 macadamia nut, 30 tomatillo, and 40 licorice. —Rima Suqi, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

Maine lobsters have much larger claws than many other lobster types. —Nick Kasmik, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024

Breeze serves reliably tasty reef and beef, from a succulent whole lobster with herb butter to a ribeye steak. —Alev Aktar, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2024

To put that in context, a Powerball player is more likely to be attacked by a grizzly bear at Yellowstone National Park — about 1 in 2.7 million, according to the National Park Service — or find a blue lobster in the ocean (1 in 2 million). —Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English loppestre, from loppe spider

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lobster

• hanging lobster claw
• lobster claw
• lobster pot
• lobster shift
• lobster thermidor
• lobster trap
• Norway lobster
• rock lobster
• spiny lobster

Kids Definition

lobster

noun

lob·​ster ˈläb-stər 

: any of several large edible marine crustaceans with stalked eyes, a pair of large claws, and a long abdomen

also : spiny lobster