Lōb'ster, n.

noun

n. [A-S. loppestre, lopystre, lopus-tre, most probably corrupted from Lat. locusta, locusta marina, a marine shell-fish, a kind of lobster.] (Zoöl.) A large, long tailed crustacean, used for food. The American lobster is a species of the genus Homarus; the European, of the genus Palinurus, have no large claws. The fresh-water lobsters are species of the genus Astacus.

An illustration of a common lobster viewed from the side. — Common Lobster (*Homarus vulgaris*).

A spiny lobster is shown from above, with its segmented body, many legs, antennae, and fan-shaped tail. — Spiny Lobster (*Palinurus vulgaris*).