devein: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical (culinary)
Quick answer
What does “devein” mean?
To remove the dark central vein from shrimp or prawns before cooking.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To remove the dark central vein from shrimp or prawns before cooking.
The culinary process of preparing shellfish by eliminating the digestive tract, which may contain grit or impurities.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical. The term is known in both culinary traditions, though preparation customs may vary slightly.
Connotations
Purely practical; implies proper food preparation and hygiene.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both dialects, confined to cooking instructions and culinary texts.
Grammar
How to Use “devein” in a Sentence
[subject] deveins [object] (e.g., The chef deveins the prawns.)[object] deveined (e.g., Use pre-deveined shrimp.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “devein” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- You must devein the prawns before adding them to the paella.
- The recipe says to peel and devein the tiger prawns.
American English
- Don't forget to devein the shrimp for the scampi.
- Most frozen shrimp is already deveined for convenience.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial use]
American English
- [No standard adverbial use]
adjective
British English
- Ready-to-cook, deveined prawns are available at the fishmonger's.
- Buy a bag of raw, deveined king prawns.
American English
- Look for deveined, tail-on shrimp at the grocery store.
- They sell frozen deveined shrimp in five-pound bags.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in restaurant supply, seafood wholesale, and cookbook publishing.
Academic
Rare; limited to gastronomy or food science texts.
Everyday
Used in home cooking recipes and instructions.
Technical
Standard term in professional culinary arts and food safety guidelines.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “devein”
- Using 'devein' for animals other than crustaceans (e.g., 'devein a fish').
- Confusing it with 'butterfly' (butterflying includes splitting open, not just vein removal).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is not strictly a safety issue for most healthy individuals, as cooking kills bacteria. It is done primarily for texture and aesthetic reasons, to remove the gritty digestive tract.
The term is almost exclusively used for shrimp and prawns. For similar processes in other shellfish (like scallops), terms like 'clean' or 'prepare' are used.
A special shrimp deveiner tool exists, but most cooks use a small paring knife or even a toothpick to lift and pull out the vein.
'Peeled' means the shell is removed. 'Deveined' means the dark vein (digestive tract) is removed. Shrimp can be sold as one, the other, both (P&D), or neither.
To remove the dark central vein from shrimp or prawns before cooking.
Devein is usually technical (culinary) in register.
Devein: in British English it is pronounced /diːˈveɪn/, and in American English it is pronounced /diˈveɪn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[none]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DE-contaminate the VEIN of the shrimp. DE-VEIN.
Conceptual Metaphor
Cleansing or purifying (removing the undesirable part).
Practice
Quiz
What does 'devein' specifically refer to?