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. louse1
crabs,
(used with a singular verb) a losing throw, as two aces, in the game of hazard.
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.
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.
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 pincers See also fiddler crab soft-shell crab pea crab oyster crab
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
rowing to make a stroke in which the oar either misses the water or digs too deeply, causing the rower to fall backwards
(intr) to hunt or catch crabs
(tr) to fly (an aircraft) slightly into a crosswind to compensate for drift
(intr) nautical to move forwards with a slight sideways motion, as to overcome an offsetting current
(intr) to move sideways
(intr) to find fault; grumble
(tr) to spoil (esp in the phrase crab someone's act )
an irritable person
to attract unwelcome attention
First recorded before 1000; Middle English crabbe, Old English crabba; cognate with Dutch krab, Old Norse krabbi; akin to German Krebs
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English crabbe; perhaps special use of crab 1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; back formation from crabbed
A crab is a stubby sea creature with a flat body, eight legs, and claws. You can sometimes find tiny crabs in the sand on the beach. Crabs have a thick, shell-like covering called an "exoskeleton," and you can find them in both fresh and saltwater. Some types of crab are considered a delicacy, with sweet, delicate flesh often called "crab meat." There are many shelled sea creatures with crab in their names, like horseshoe crabs and hermit crabs, that aren't true crabs. The word crab comes from a Germanic root related to the Low German krabben, "to claw."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Serve them with crispy French fries and you’ve got a meal; or take things in a completely different direction with crab grilled cheese and peak-season tomato soup.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Williams, whose main course options include Porth Eirias dressed crab and Welsh lamb, said he would never exile the scone.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The crab curry is so delicious and they do these street food sausages that we crave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
To avoid that issue, the researchers relied on a virtual crab image instead.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
And then I sprint to the crab apple tree that’s first base.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
For critic Jamieson, highlights include Jamie Dornan's rugby sketch, in which he goes to elaborate lengths to injure himself, and Traitors spoof The Great Big Crab Man.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
Yes, one can fantasize about the end result of a good haul, i.e. crab cakes, crab cocktail and/or Crab Louie.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
"There's a bright band, then nothing, bright band, nothing. No other pulsar shows this kind of striation. That uniqueness made the Crab Pulsar especially interesting -- and challenging -- to understand."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2026
Upon entering the festival, attendees can fuel up at the Terrace with Irv’s Burgers, a seafood boil from the Boiling Crab or a warm churro from Churrería El Moro.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
“I suppose,” Crab said, loping over to the porch.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
She also shaved her head — all to add authenticity as her queen evolved from youth to crabbed old age.
From New York Times ● Jun. 15, 2023
Right from the founding, then, analogical reasoning was bold and aspirational as frequently as it was crabbed and limiting.
From Slate ● Feb. 15, 2023
In this crabbed and narrow view of things, the prime offender was the Pop art typified by Andy Warhol, whose 1970 retrospective caused a hubbub at the organizing Pasadena Museum of Art.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2022
In the spring, Thompson crabbed, and when buyers counted crabs, the brothers said, his father often got shorted.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 26, 2022
Abbott crabbed along beside him until Ben whirled with a reverse dribble, sprinted for the basket, and laid up the first two points of the game.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
A GoFundMe set up in Meadows’ name described the deckhand from Montesano, Wash., as a father to “three amazing little boys” who died “while doing what he loved — crabbing out on Alaskan waters.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026
A fundraiser set up in Meadows’ name described the deckhand from Montesano, Wash., as a father to “three amazing little boys” who died “while doing what he loved — crabbing out on Alaskan waters.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
You've probably seen those videos of passenger planes "crabbing" and landing almost sideways in strong winds.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2025
In the far north, where crabbing was supposed to be allowed starting Dec. 1, there’s a second issue: Testing in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties revealed poor crab meat quality.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2023
"You make it ten times worse by crabbing about it."
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
