Definition

Verb: - To remove the dark dorsal vein (the intestinal tract) from a shrimp or prawn. This is a culinary preparation step to improve the texture and appearance of the shellfish.

Usage

The verb "devein" is used specifically in cooking contexts. It describes the action of preparing shrimp by removing its digestive tract. It is typically used in the imperative form in recipes or as a past participle to describe prepared shrimp. - The action is almost always performed on shrimp or prawns. - It is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object (e.g., devein the shrimp).

Examples

• Basic Usage:
  • Remember to devein the shrimp before adding them to the stir-fry.
  • The recipe's first step is to peel and devein one pound of large prawns.
• Past Participle (Adjectival Use):
  • For this dish, you will need 500 grams of peeled and deveined shrimp.
  • I bought a bag of frozen, deveined shrimp for convenience.

Advanced Usage

• Culinary Instruction: The term is standard in professional and home cooking. The "vein" is not a blood vessel but the digestive tract, and its removal is often recommended for aesthetic reasons and to eliminate grit.
  • To properly clean the shrimp, you must devein them along the curved back.

Variants and Related Words

• Deveined (adjective): Describes shrimp that have had the dorsal vein removed.
  • The market sells deveined shrimp, which saves a lot of preparation time.

Synonyms

• Clean (in the specific context of shrimp preparation): While more general, "clean" can be used interchangeably with "devein" when the context is clear.
  • Peel and clean the shrimp.
• Butterfly (when deveining is part of the process): To butterfly a shrimp often involves slicing it open along the back and removing the vein.
  • The chef instructed us to butterfly the shrimp, which automatically removes the vein.

Notes on Meaning

The word "devein" has only one primary, specific meaning related to food preparation. It is not used in medical, anatomical, or general contexts. The "vein" referred to is a culinary term for the dark intestinal sand vein running along the shrimp's back.

Verb

1. remove the dark dorsal vein of (a shrimp)