crawfish

Noun

• large edible marine crustacean having a spiny carapace but lacking the large pincers of true lobsters

• small freshwater decapod crustacean that resembles a lobster

• tiny lobster-like crustaceans usually boiled briefly

Verb

• make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
  • 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
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  spiny lobster , langouste , rock lobster , crayfish , sea crawfish , crawdad , crawdaddy , ecrevisse , retreat , pull back , back out , back away , crawfish out , pull in one's horns , withdraw