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Webster 1913 Edition
Prawn
Prawn
,Noun.
[OE.
prane
, of unknown origin; cf. L. perna
a sea mussel.] (Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of large shrimplike Crustacea having slender legs and long antennæ. They mostly belong to the genera
Pandalus
, Palæmon
, Palæmonetes
, and Peneus
, and are much used as food. The common English prawn is Palæmon serratus
. ☞ The name is often applied to any large shrimp.