crab

1 of 5

noun (1)

often attributive
1
plural crabs also crab : any of numerous chiefly marine broadly built decapod crustaceans:
a
: any of an infraorder (Brachyura) with a short broad usually flattened carapace, a small abdomen that curls forward beneath the body, short antennae, and the anterior pair of limbs modified as grasping pincers
b
: any of various crustaceans of an infraorder (Anomura) resembling true crabs in the more or less reduced condition of the abdomen
2
capitalized : cancer sense 1
3
crabs plural : infestation with crab lice
4
: the angular difference between an aircraft's course and the heading necessary to make that course in the presence of a crosswind

crab

2 of 5

verb (1)

crabbed; crabbing

intransitive verb

1
: to fish for crabs
2
a(1)
: to move sideways indirectly or diagonally
(2)
: to crab an airplane
b
: to scuttle or scurry sideways

transitive verb

1
: to cause to move sideways or in an indirect or diagonal manner
specifically : to head (an airplane) into a crosswind to counteract drift
2
: to subject to crabbing

crab

3 of 5

noun (2)

crab

4 of 5

noun (3)

: an ill-tempered person : grouch

crab

5 of 5

verb (2)

crabbed; crabbing

transitive verb

1
: to make sullen : sour
old age has crabbed his nature
2
: to complain about peevishly
3
: spoil, ruin

intransitive verb

: carp, grouse
always crabs about the weather

Examples of crab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Fans will have an abundance of options this year, thanks to the new executive chef, Sheldon Morgan: from Vietnamese street tacos to crab Rangoon. David Wysong, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 The team’s boat, aptly named the Princess, spends its winters commercial crabbing out of Noyo Harbor and brings its delicious finds to land. Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 Each off-shoot is connected by a joint, many of which had been booby-trapped, that one has to crab walk to get through. Matt Gutman, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2024 The 2020 crabbing season was officially set to begin Dec. 23, but price negotiations between crab fleets and seafood processors delayed the start until early January 2021. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2024 Enjoy city life at the new Pacific Standard Hotel one day, then head out for an adventure on the Oregon Coast to go crabbing with Antica Terra out on the Oregon Coast, or book in for a night of indulgent dining at The Tributary Hotel in the Willamette Valley wine region. Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023 The allure of the shrimping and crabbing life was too strong. Amy Qin Callaghan O’Hare, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023 Proceeds from the community’s investment in crabbing boats had paid the heating bills of older people; the boats also supplied the elderly with crab and halibut for their freezers. WIRED, 15 July 2023 It’s been a fur trading vessel in the Aleutian Islands, an oil tanker in WWII, a tow boat on the Columbia River, and a crabbing boat in the Bering Sea. Jessie Sheldon, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Aug. 2023
Noun
The brunch entrees include lobster frittata ($50), a 14-ounce NY strip steak and eggs ($50), crab cake Benedict ($47) and an 8-ounce filet mignon ($47). Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024 At the restaurant, longtime favorites like the chicken salad sandwich and the crab cakes are sticking around, but new chef Chadd Williams is adding some weekly specials and new dishes, Hastings said. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2024 The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, developed in 1997, requires fishers to use weak links, with a maximum breaking strength of 1,700 pounds (771 kilograms), to connect lobster and crab pots to buoys on the surface. Joshua Reed, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2024 Photo : Tamworth Distilling Tamworth Garden Sugar Plum Fairy Tamworth Distilling has made a name for itself over the years by releasing some very odd spirits, most notably whiskeys flavored with green crab, beaver sac oil, and venison. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 The microbes then form the base of the food web in hydrothermal vents and methane seeps, sustaining bigger creatures, including crabs, mussels, and soft-bodied polychaete worms like Pectinereis strickrotti. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024 From the deliciously juicy blue crab with mud crab emulsion and black pepper jam, to six different preparations of 14-day aged duck, including roasted duck brain and crispy duck, nobody is going home hungry. Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Musk has, after all, tried to kneecap rivals by stealing their thunder, like a quad-motor Cybertruck capable of turning a full 360 degrees on its axis like a tank, or drive sideways like a crab. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 Some of those sponsors include Double Popcorn, Applebee’s, See’s Candies and VOY’s annual crab feed and snack bar. Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English crabbe, from Old English crabba; akin to Old High German krebiz crab and perhaps to Old English ceorfan to carve — more at carve

Noun (2)

Middle English crabbe, perhaps from crabbe crab entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English crabben, probably back-formation from crabbed

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1657, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1580, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1662, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crab was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near crab

Cite this Entry

“Crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crab. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

crab

1 of 4 noun
1
: any of various crustaceans with a short broad usually flattened shell of chitin, a small abdomen curled forward beneath the body, and a front pair of limbs with strong pincers
also : any of various other crustaceans resembling the true crabs in having an abdomen much reduced in size
2
capitalized : cancer sense 1
3
: any of various machines for raising or hauling heavy weights
4
plural : the state of being infested with crab lice

crab

2 of 4 verb
crabbed; crabbing
: to fish for crabs
crabber noun

crab

3 of 4 verb
crabbed; crabbing
: to find fault : complain

crab

4 of 4 noun
1
2
: a sour ill-tempered person

Medical Definition

crab

noun
1
: any of a tribe (Brachyura) of chiefly marine crustaceans with a short broad usually flattened carapace, a small abdomen that curls forward beneath the body, short antennae, and the anterior pair of limbs modified as grasping pincers
2
crabs plural : infestation with pubic lice

More from Merriam-Webster on crab

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