crawfish

(noun) tiny lobster-like crustaceans usually boiled briefly. Synonyms: crayfish, crawdad, ecrevisse.

(noun) small freshwater decapod crustacean that resembles a lobster. Synonyms: crayfish, crawdad, crawdaddy.

(noun) large edible marine crustacean having a spiny carapace but lacking the large pincers of true lobsters. Synonyms: spiny lobster, langouste, rock lobster, crayfish, sea crawfish.

(verb) make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity. Synonyms: retreat, pull back, back out, back away, crawfish out, pull in one's horns, withdraw. Examples: "We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him." "He backed out of his earlier promise." "The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns."