any decapod crustacean of the suborder Brachyura, having the eyes on short stalks and a short, broad, more or less flattened body, the abdomen being small and folded under the thorax.
any of various other crustaceans, as the hermit crab, or other animals, as the horseshoe crab, resembling the true crabs.
Crab,
Astronomy, Astrology.the zodiacal constellation or sign Cancer.
Astronomy.the Crab Nebula.
any of various mechanical contrivances for hoisting or pulling.
Aeronautics. the maneuver of crabbing.
Informal. the crab louse.See under louse (def. 1).
crabs,
(used with a singular verb)a losing throw, as two aces, in the game of hazard.
pediculosis.
verb (used without object),crabbed,crab·bing.
to catch or attempt to catch crabs.
to move sideways, diagonally, or obliquely, especially with short, abrupt bursts of speed; scuttle.
Aeronautics. (of an aircraft) to head partly into the wind to compensate for drift.
Nautical. to drift or advance with some movement sideways, especially when under tow.
verb (used with object),crabbed,crab·bing.
to move (a vehicle or object) sideways, diagonally, or obliquely, especially with short, abrupt movements.
Aeronautics. to head (an aircraft) partly into the wind to compensate for drift.
Idioms for crab
catch a crab, to make a faulty stroke in rowing, so that the oar strikes the water forcibly on the backstroke.
Origin of crab
1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English crabbe, Old English crabba; cognate with Dutch krab, Old Norse krabbi; akin to German Krebs
Salmon burgers and shrimp burgers are available, too, but they are no match for the crab.
Become a Fried Seafood Believer at South Beach Market|Jane & Michael Stern|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I watched the crab scramble for shelter as everything he knows turned on its side.
Telling My Family That I’m Leaving Again for Afghanistan|Nick Willard|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Scott Murray attached a GoPro camera to a crab net—and was surprised with what he saw.
Man Attaches GoPro Camera to Crab Net, Sees Crabs|Brian Ries|January 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The crab complaint," he writes, "has recurred more than a dozen times in newspapers around the country.
GOP Aims to Cut $40 Billion Out of Food Stamps to Foil Illusory ‘Cheaters’|Jamelle Bouie|September 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Add the crab meat, breadcrumbs, egg, mayonnaise, and sour cream.
Foods That We Love But Shouldn’t|Lydia Brownlow|July 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST
By-and-by the ape came to visit the crab, and seeing the fine tree laden with the yellow-brown fruit, begged a few.
Japanese Fairy World|William Elliot Griffis
The creek above mentioned was named Crab Creek because some of the brethren saw a very large crab in it.
William Clayton's Journal|William Clayton
The game is to guess in which pile is the whale, and the crab, and the duck.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 1|Hubert Howe Bancroft
The transplanted fragments continue to live and grow until the Crab appears like a miniature moving forest.
The Life of Crustacea|William Thomas Calman
And the Crab lived happily in the beautiful lake for the rest of his life.
The Giant Crab and Other Tales from Old India|W.H.D. Rouse
British Dictionary definitions for crab (1 of 4)
crab1
/ (kræb) /
noun
any chiefly marine decapod crustacean of the genus Cancer and related genera (section Brachyura), having a broad flattened carapace covering the cephalothorax, beneath which is folded the abdomen. The first pair of limbs are modified as pincersSee also fiddler crab, soft-shell crab, pea crab, oyster crab Related adjective: cancroid
any of various similar or related arthropods, such as the hermit crab and horseshoe crab
short for crab louse
a manoeuvre in which an aircraft flies slightly into the crosswind to compensate for drift
a mechanical lifting device, esp the travelling hoist of a gantry crane
wrestling See Boston crab
catch a crabrowingto make a stroke in which the oar either misses the water or digs too deeply, causing the rower to fall backwards
verbcrabs, crabbingorcrabbed
(intr)to hunt or catch crabs
(tr)to fly (an aircraft) slightly into a crosswind to compensate for drift
(intr)nauticalto move forwards with a slight sideways motion, as to overcome an offsetting current
(intr)to move sideways
See also crabs
Word Origin for crab
Old English crabba; related to Old Norse krabbi, Old High German krebiz crab, Dutch krabben to scratch
British Dictionary definitions for crab (2 of 4)
crab2
/ (kræb) informal /
verbcrabs, crabbingorcrabbed
(intr)to find fault; grumble
(tr)mainlyUSto spoil (esp in the phrase crab someone's act)
noun
an irritable person
draw the crabsAustralianto attract unwelcome attention
Word Origin for crab
C16: probably back formation from crabbed
British Dictionary definitions for crab (3 of 4)
crab3
/ (kræb) /
noun
short for crab apple
Word Origin for crab
C15: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish skrabbe crab apple
British Dictionary definitions for crab (4 of 4)
Crab
/ (kræb) /
noun
the Crabthe constellation Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac