New Game: What's the Word?

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What's the Word: DECAPOD

pronunciation: [DEK-ə-pod]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. A crustacean of the order Decapoda, such as a shrimp, crab, or lobster.

 

Examples:

"Instead of fish, I chose the crab and lobster platter and dined on decapods."

"Decapods often prefer warm and shallow water to colder deep water."

About Decapod

Decapod is a loanword from the French "décapode," formed by combining the ancient Greek terms "δέκας" ("dékas," meaning "10") and "ποδός" ("podós," meaning "foot or limb").

 

Did you Know?

The classification "decapod" includes 8,000 species of crustaceans, ranging from crabs and lobsters to shrimp, prawns, and crawfish. The smallest decapod is a half-inch shrimp, while the largest is the 12-foot spider crab. Though their name suggests decapods have 10 legs, some have as many as 38. Decapods live in both salt water and fresh water, as well as on land. While they tend to prefer warmer, shallower water, decapods are found throughout the ocean, including at the great depths of the abyssal zone, or around 10,000 to 20,000 feet down.