blue crab

noun

1. an edible crab, Callinectes sapidus, having a dark green body and bluish legs, found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blue crab¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Tender flaked blue crab and summer squash add sweetness and depth.

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My family and most of my friends were always blue crab meat or jumbo shrimp kinds of people.

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Atlantic blue crab species reached the Mediterranean in ballast waters and through the Suez Canal.

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But the blue crab — a strong and fast swimmer and a voracious and aggressive eater with no natural predators here other than fishermen — has put Italy’s clam and mussel producers in crisis.

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Named for their brilliant sapphire-colored claws, blue crab is one of the most iconic species in the Chesapeake Bay.

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