A crustacean is an animal with a hard shell and several pairs of legs, which usually lives in water. Crabs, lobsters, and shrimps are crustaceans.
crustacean in British English
(krʌˈsteɪʃən)
noun
1.
any arthropod of the mainly aquatic class Crustacea, typically having a carapace hardened with lime and including the lobsters, crabs, shrimps, woodlice, barnacles, copepods, and water fleas
adjective also: crustaceous
2.
of, relating to, or belonging to the Crustacea
Word origin
C19: from New Latin crūstāceus hard-shelled, from Latin crūsta shell, crust
crustacean in American English
(krʌsˈteɪʃən)
noun
1.
any of a subphylum (Crustacea) of arthropods, including shrimps, crabs, barnacles, and lobsters, thatusually live in the water and breathe through gills: they have a hard outer shell and jointed appendages
adjective
2.
of crustaceans
Word origin
ModL Crustacea < crustaceus, having a crust or shell < L crusta, crust
Examples of 'crustacean' in a sentence
crustacean
The elder of the two always went compulsively for seafood, especially crustacean.
Hilton, John Buxton DISPLACED PERSON (2001)
And when I had finished he sat thoughtfully for a few moments, gnawing quietly on the shell of some crustacean.
Matthews, Lew A CONVICTION OF GUILT (2001)
What you're holding looks like the loser in a crustacean demolition derby.