v figuratively, a little wrinkled man; a dwarf;
in contempt.
2. shrimp ·vt to contract; to shrink.
3. shrimp ·v in a more general sense, any species of the macruran tribe caridea, or any species of the order schizopoda, having a similar form.
4. shrimp ·v in a loose sense, any small crustacean, including some amphipods and even certain entomostracans; as, the fairy shrimp, and brine shrimp. ·see under fairy, and brine.
5. shrimp ·v any one of numerous species of macruran crustacea belonging to crangon and various allied genera, having a slender body and long legs. many of them are used as food. the larger kinds are called also prawns. ·see ·illust. of decapoda.