crab Hear it!

crab¹ Definition

crab (krab)

noun

  1. any of various decapods with four pairs of legs, one pair of pincers, a flattish shell, and a short, broad abdomen folded under its thorax
  2. any of other similar arthropods, as the horseshoe crab
  3. the edible part of a crab
    1. crab louse
    2. Informal infestation by crab lice: often with the
  5. any of various machines for hoisting heavy weights
  6. Aeron. the apparent sideways motion of an aircraft with respect to the ground when headed into a crosswind

Etymology: ME crabbe < OE crabba < IE base *grebh-, *gerebh-, to scratch: see graphic

intransitive verb crabbed, crab′·bing

to fish for crabs; catch crabs

transitive verb

Aeron. to head (an aircraft) into a crosswind in order to counteract drift, thus causing apparent sideways motion with respect to the ground

crab¹ Related Forms
crab′·ber noun
crab¹ Idioms

catch a crab

Rowing to fail to clear the water on the recovery stroke accidentally, thereby unbalancing the boat or impeding its movement

the Crab

Cancer, the constellation and fourth sign of the zodiac

crab² Definition

crab (krab)

noun

  1. crab apple
  2. a person who has a sour temper or is always complaining

Etymology: ME crabbe, akin ? to Scot scrabbe, Swed dial. scrabba, wild apple

adjective

of a crab apple or the tree that it grows on

transitive verb crabbed, crab′·bing

  1. Obsolete
    1. to irritate; vex
    2. to sour; embitter
  2. Rare to find fault with; criticize

intransitive verb

Informal to complain peevishly; grumble

crab² Related Forms
crab′·ber noun
crab² Idioms

crab one's act (the deal, etc.)

☆

to ruin or frustrate one's scheme (the deal, etc.)

crab Synonyms

crab

n.

  1. A short-tailed or soft-tailed crustacean

    podothalmian, Brachyura, Anomura (both Latin), seafood; see shellfish.

    Kinds of crabs include: softshell, hardshell, deep-sea, king, horseshoe, blue, spider, giant spider, Japanese spider, shore, rock, land, fiddler, Dungeness, Jonah, green, pea, box, porcelain, lady, ghost, swimming, paddle, shuttle, hermit, purse.

  2. A grouchy person

    complainer, grumbler, grump, bellyacher*; see grouch.

crab Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • catch: Children can have fun catching crabs on the bridge by the car park.
  • cook: Over North Beach way we asked the chef of a little restaurant how he cooked crab.

Adjective modifier

  • edible: Some believe that spider crab inhibit edible crab from entering the pots.
  • grumpy: Grumpy Crab: Waiting for a bus, of course!
  • coconut: More commonly, coconut crabs are harvested as well as coral and shells.
  • frozen: The most successful baits are black lugworm in a cocktail with frozen crab or razorfish.
  • giant: The largest crab on record was a Japanese giant spider crab, which weighed 18 kilograms.
  • fresh: When's the best time to eat fresh crab?

Modifies a noun

  • apple: Crab apples are ideal specimen trees for small gardens.
  • claw: Crab Lane The road from London Road to Sun Street, possibilities Shaped like a crabs claw, Crab Apple trees grew there.
  • fisherman: The tiny harbor is now used by a local crab fisherman.
  • bait: She decided that either there were no fishes in the pool or they would not bite the crab bait.
  • meat: Add the saffron if liked, stir and then put in the white crab meat and the sherry.
  • salad: Food Choice: Pair with fresh crab salad or serve chilled on its own.

Noun used with modifier

  • hermit: Whilst we were rock pooling by the beach my daughter found a small colony of what I assume were hermit crabs.
  • peeler: The top bait without doubt is peeler crab, be it fresh or frozen.
  • mitten: On the negative side, we found Chinese mitten crabs.
  • fiddler: The burrow was artificially created by poking a stick in the sand to the average depth of a male fiddler crab burrow.
  • horseshoe: You are all familiar with Limulus, the horseshoe crab, a kind of living fossil.
  • spider: There were lots of spider crabs waiting to be picked up.