crayfish

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crayfish †crustacean XIV; fresh-water crustacean XV; spiny lobster XVIII. ME. crevis(se), -es(se) — OF. crevis (mod. écrevisse) — OHG. krebiz (G. krebs) CRAB. Stressed orig. on the final syll., the word developed two types, (i) crevis, whence crevish, which became crayfish (XVI), and (ii) cravis which, through cravish, crafish (XVI), became crawfish (XVII), which survives as the U.S. form.

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