Lobster
/ˈlɒb.stə(r)/noun
A large marine crustacean with a hard shell and two large claws, prized as food.
Did you know?The English word ultimately comes from Latin *locusta*, which could mean both a lobster and a locust—showing how ancient languages grouped wildly different creatures under one uncanny name.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“to be hard, to shell over”
Latin
Latin
locusta
“a lobster or locust; also a kind of shellfish or insect”
Old English
OE
lopustre
“a lobster or crab-like shellfish”
Middle English
ME
lobstar / lopster
“a lobster”
Modern English
English
lobster
“a large edible marine crustacean with claws”
Explore more surprising origins