prawn
prawn — noun
1. a small animal from the sea, with a hard outer covering and ten legs, often cook
a small animal from the sea, with a hard outer covering and ten legs, often cooked and eaten as seafood.
Dad bought fresh prawns at Keelung Harbor before the family barbecue.
food use: buy / cook / eat prawns
The chef laid three giant prawns across Mei's bowl of noodles.
countable: three prawns
Small prawns hid under the rocks beside the boat at low tide.
At the night market, Leo ordered prawns with garlic and chili.
A live prawn jumped from the bucket onto Nora's wet sandal.
- shrimp
the closest everyday word; more common in American English
- shellfish
broader; includes many sea animals with shells, not only prawns
- crustacean
more scientific; includes crabs, lobsters, and similar animals
文法句型
a prawn
cook / eat prawns
用法筆記
Often countable for single animals, but the plural is very common when people talk about seafood on a plate or menu. In British English, prawn often overlaps with shrimp; in American English, shrimp is the more usual everyday word.
常見錯誤
prawn — verb
1. to catch prawns, or to go out on the water to do this work.
to catch prawns, or to go out on the water to do this work.
Before sunrise, two brothers prawn near the river mouth each spring.
intransitive: prawn + place phrase
Several boats were prawning off the coast when the storm warning came.
progressive form for the fishing activity
After the rice harvest, many families prawn in the shallow bay.
At night, crews prawn with bright lamps along the dark water.
When fuel prices rose, fewer crews prawn during the winter season.
文法句型
prawn + place phrase
prawn with nets / lamps
用法筆記
Usually intransitive. The subject is often fishers, crews, or boats, and the verb is commonly followed by a place or time phrase such as 'in the bay' or 'at night'.