prawn en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /pɹɔːn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Australia) audio
- /pɹoːn/ (Australia, British, New-Zealand, Southern, Standard)
- /pɹɒn/ (Canada)
- /pɾɔn/ (Scotland)
- /pɹɔn/ without the cot–caught merger
- /pɹɑn/ (cot-caught-merger)
- /pɾɔːn/ (Wales)
Etymology
First attested early 1400s as various Middle English forms prayne, prane, praune, and prawne, which present no clear cognates in languages other than English. The forms suggest a hypothetical Old English form *prægn, where *æg would have evolved into Middle English *ay, but it is unclear if the word is of Germanic origin, from another European language, or loaned from a substrate. In the Isle of Wight, a word prankle ("prawn") is recorded and thought to be related. Century, following Skeat, suggested transposition of an unrecorded Old French *parne, *perne related to Spanish perna (“a flat shellfish”), Old Italian perna and diminutive pernochie, parnocchie, glossed as "shrimps or prawne, fishes" by John Florio, but the OED considers Florio's entry incorrect and the suggested connection semantically and phonologically implausible. Etymology 1, noun sense 3 ("woman with attractive body and unattractive face") is from the idea of discarding the head of a prawn before eating it.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A crustacean of the suborder Dendrobranchiata.
The aphrodisiac nature of prawns is evident in an epigram by the Greek poet Asclepiades.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 197:
- (Commonwealth, countable, uncountable) A crustacean, sometimes confused with shrimp.
-
(Australia, colloquial, countable, derogatory, uncountable) Synonym of butterface: A woman with an attractive body but an unattractive face.
She's a prawn!
-
(Australia, countable, slang, uncountable) A fool, an idiot.
This is utter dribble. I've not read much worse than this in a long time - and he admits he doesn't know - "or so I am told". Get real, you prawn.
1999 August 2, Les Brown, “This old "almah" controversy”, in alt.religion.christian (Usenet):He didn't say he was accused of that, prawn.
2001 February 1, Ned Latham, “Lovesick Puppy Poetry - Volume 1”, in aus.culture.true-blue (Usenet):
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| prawns | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| prawn | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
tiger prawn · banana prawn · prawn toast · king prawn · deepwater prawn · mantis prawn · furrowed prawn · porn and prawn · prawn killer · prawn sandwich brigade · prawn chip · Oriental river prawn · prawn cracker · school prawn · prawn crisp · long-clawed prawn · prawner · spot prawn · prawny · great northern prawn · prawnwich · soldier prawn · come the raw prawn · royal red prawn · kuruma prawn · prawnlike · snapping prawn · mudprawn · Dublin Bay prawn · lawn prawn · Alaskan prawn · prawn cocktail offensive · river prawn · Aesop prawn · Parktown prawn · queen prawn · common prawn · deep-sea prawn · green prawn · pistol prawn · prawn cocktail · monsoon river prawn · Indian prawn · sandprawn · giant tiger prawn · musical prawn
Synonyms
Translations (114)
ug قىسقۇچپاقا (large shrimp) · vi tôm (large shrimp) · af garnaal (large shrimp) · my ပုစွန် (large shrimp) · sw uduvi (large shrimp) · sl kozica (large shrimp) · et garneel (large shrimp) · tpi see kindam (large shrimp) · ml ചെമ്മീൻ (large shrimp) · ta இறால் (large shrimp) · sl rakec (large shrimp) · acw قَمْبَري (large shrimp) · ja エビ (large shrimp) · za gungq (large shrimp) · mk шкамп (large shrimp) · bn ইচলি (large shrimp) · hu garnéla (large shrimp) · da reje (large shrimp) · sh račić (large shrimp) · sv räka (large shrimp) · es langostino (large shrimp) · fi jättikatkarapu (large shrimp) · tg креветка (large shrimp) · be крэве́тка (large shrimp) · ce креветка (large shrimp) · tk krewetka (large shrimp) · cmn 蝦 /虾 (large shrimp) · lt krevetė (large shrimp) · ms udang (large shrimp) · ka კრევეტი (large shrimp) · uz qisqichbaqa (large shrimp) · ko 새우 (large shrimp) · bg скари́да (large shrimp) · fi (iso) katkarapu (large shrimp) · az karides (large shrimp) · el γαρίδα (large shrimp) · nl scampi (large shrimp) · ca gamba (large shrimp) · te రొయ్య (large shrimp) · is rækja (large shrimp) · yi פּראָן (large shrimp) · lo ກຸ້ງ (large shrimp) · uz mayda qisqichbaqa (large shrimp) · as মিছা মাছ (large shrimp) · pa ਝੀਂਗਾ (large shrimp) · tr teke (large shrimp) · ky креветка (large shrimp) · kk креветка (large shrimp) · mk скамп (large shrimp) · sh kozica (large shrimp) · tt креветка (large shrimp) · sh škamp (large shrimp) · pt camarão (large shrimp) · th กุ้ง (large shrimp) · ro crevetă (large shrimp) · ko 징거미 (large shrimp) · ota تكه (large shrimp) · nrf grosse chèrvette (large shrimp) · fr crevette (large shrimp) · lv garnele (large shrimp) · ast esguila (large shrimp) · bn চিংড়ি (large shrimp) · or ଚିଙ୍ଗୁଡ଼ି (large shrimp) · as নিচলা মাছ (large shrimp) · kn ಸೀಗಡಿ (large shrimp) · kk асшаян (large shrimp) · bn ইচলা (large shrimp) · lv krevete (large shrimp) · bn ইঁচা (large shrimp) · syl ꠁꠍꠣ (large shrimp) · pt pitu (large shrimp) · az krevet (large shrimp) · sh шкамп (large shrimp) · ru креве́тка (large shrimp) · ur جھینگا (large shrimp) · tl sugpo (large shrimp) · sh рачић (large shrimp) · id udang (large shrimp) · km ព្រោន (large shrimp) · my မျှင် (large shrimp) · uk креве́тка (large shrimp) · it gambero (large shrimp) · cs kreveta (large shrimp) · et krevett (large shrimp) · sh козица (large shrimp) · es camarón (large shrimp) · fa میگو (large shrimp) · hi झींगा (large shrimp) · myv креветка (large shrimp) · jv urang (large shrimp) · ar جَمْبَرِي (large shrimp) · gl gamba (large shrimp) · uz krevetka (large shrimp) · ga cloicheán (large shrimp) · es gamba (large shrimp) · ja 海老 (large shrimp) · nl garnaal (large shrimp) · cmn 明蝦 /明虾 (large shrimp) · nuk łiłimakƛi (large shrimp) · es langostín (large shrimp) · cmn 對蝦 /对虾 (large shrimp) · ceb pansat (large shrimp) · he חֲסִילוֹנִים (large shrimp) · pl krewetka (large shrimp) · sk kreveta (large shrimp) · eo peneo (large shrimp) · de Garnele (large shrimp) · rgn gâmbar (large shrimp) · grc καρίς (large shrimp) · km បង្គា (large shrimp) · cy corgimwch (large shrimp) · hy մանր ծովախեցգետին (large shrimp) · nb reke (large shrimp) · ar رُوبِيَان (large shrimp)