Crays

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Crustaceans resembling small lobsters that inhabit freshwater; informal term for these aquatic creatures; could refer to these crayfish species collectively in ecological or culinary contexts
2. Small freshwater decapod crustaceans similar to lobsters; casual name used for these animals in fishing or cooking; may denote a group of related species in biology or cuisine
3. Freshwater animals akin to miniature lobsters commonly found in streams and ponds; slang or shorthand for these creatures used by anglers; broadly applied to various members of this crustacean family

Etymology: "Crays" is the plural of "cray," a clipping of "crayfish," which itself comes from Middle English "crevis" (later "crevise") via Old French "crevice," borrowed from Germanic. The "fish" was tacked on by English speakers in the later Middle Ages, probably by folk association with fish, even though these animals are crustaceans rather than fish. Over the centuries, "crayfish" shortened in casual speech to "cray," and the plural "crays" is now used in fishing and cookery for the animals collectively or for several species at once. The clipped form is the surprise: it has nothing to do with crazy, which only shares the spelling and sound. The sense of the clipping is simply a shorter, friendlier name for the same animal.

Synonyms: lobsters, crayfish, crawfish