crabbed

[ krab-id ]

/ ˈkræb ɪd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crabbed ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

grouchy; ill-natured; irritable; churlish.

perverse; contrary; obstinate.

hard to understand; intricate and obscure.

difficult to read or decipher, as handwriting.

Nearby words

Origin of crabbed

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at crab¹, -ed³

SYNONYMS FOR crabbed

1 cross, peevish, cantankerous.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crabbed ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formscrab·bed·ly, adverbcrab·bed·ness, noun

Definition for crabbed (2 of 3)

crab

[ krab ]

/ kræb /

noun

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.

(initial capital letter) Astronomy, Astrology. the zodiacal constellation or sign Cancer.

(initial capital letter) 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.

Origin of crab

before 1000; Middle English crabbe, Old English crabba; cognate with Dutch krab, Old Norse krabbi; akin to German Krebs

Related formscrab·like, adjective

Definition for crabbed (3 of 3)

crab

[ krab ]

/ kræb /

noun

Informal. an ill-tempered or grouchy person.

verb (used without object), crabbed, crab·bing.

Informal. to find fault; complain.

(of hawks) to claw each other.

verb (used with object), crabbed, crab·bing.

Informal. to find fault with.

to make ill-tempered or grouchy; embitter.

(of a hawk) to claw (another hawk).

Slang. to spoil.

Origin of crab

1350–1400; Middle English; back formation from crabbed

Related formscrab·ber, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crabbed

Nobody wanted to hand a plum invasion spot to some fat egghead from a snooty rag, he crabbed.
The Story of the American Journalists Who Landed on D-Day|Timothy M. Gay|June 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Then they were in the very middle of a crabbed pamphlet, in which Ivan's superior knowledge of German had been invaluable.
Mrs. Overtheway's Remembrances|Juliana Horatia Ewing
I am crabbed and prejudiced and critical, and I dislike irregularity.
Short Stories of Various Types|Various
"I dond pelief dot boy vos harmed by der men dot hadt idt dis room," declared the crabbed old man.
The Ocean Wireless Boys And The Naval Code|John Henry Goldfrap, AKA Captain Wilbur Lawton

As far as any one knew the crabbed old man never spoke to his devoted neighbour, but she had never complained.
At the Crossroads|Harriet T. Comstock
Did you ever start in the morning feeling cross and crabbed?
Nuggets of the New Thought|William Walker Atkinson,

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed (1 of 5)

crabbed

/ (ˈkræbɪd) /

adjective

surly; irritable; perverse

(esp of handwriting) cramped and hard to decipher

Derived Formscrabbedly, adverbcrabbedness, noun

Word Origin for crabbed

C13: probably from crab 1 (from its wayward gait), influenced by crab (apple) (from its tartness)

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed (2 of 5)

Crab

/ (kræb) /

noun

the Crab the constellation Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed (3 of 5)

crab

/ (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 crab rowing to make a stroke in which the oar either misses the water or digs too deeply, causing the rower to fall backwards

verb crabs, crabbing or crabbed

(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

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 crabbed (4 of 5)

crab

/ (kræb) informal /

verb crabs, crabbing or crabbed

(intr) to find fault; grumble

(tr) mainly US to spoil (esp in the phrase crab someone's act)

noun

an irritable person

draw the crabs Australian to attract unwelcome attention

Word Origin for crab

C16: probably back formation from crabbed

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed (5 of 5)

crab

/ (kræb) /

noun

short for crab apple

Word Origin for crab

C15: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish skrabbe crab apple

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for crabbed (1 of 3)

crabbed

adj.

late 14c., literally "resembling a crab," in reference to crookedness, from crab (n.1). Of taste "bitter, harsh," late 14c., from crab (n.2). Meaning "peevish" is attested from 1560s, in reference to a crab's combative disposition.

Word Origin and History for crabbed (1 of 3)

crab

n.1

crustacean, Old English crabba, from a general Germanic root (cf. Dutch krab, Old High German krebiz, German Krabbe, Old Norse krabbi "crab"), related to Low German krabben, Dutch krabelen "to scratch, claw," from PIE root *gerbh- "to scratch, carve" (see carve). The constellation name is attested in English from c.1000; the Crab Nebula (1868), however, is in Taurus, and is so called for its shape. French crabe (13c.) is from Dutch.

Word Origin and History for crabbed (2 of 3)

crab

n.2

"fruit of the wild apple tree," c.1300, crabbe, perhaps from Scandinavian scrab, of obscure origin (cf. Swedish krabbäpple). The combination of "bad-tempered, combative" and "sour" in the two nouns crab naturally yielded a verb meaning of "to vex, irritate" (c.1400), later "to complain irritably, find fault" (c.1500). The noun meaning "sour person" is from 1570s.

crabbed

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of crabbed

Definition for crabbed (2 of 3)

crab

noun

verb (used without object), crabbed, crab·bing.

verb (used with object), crabbed, crab·bing.

Origin of crab

Definition for crabbed (3 of 3)

crab

noun

verb (used without object), crabbed, crab·bing.

verb (used with object), crabbed, crab·bing.

Origin of crab

Examples from the Web for crabbed

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed (1 of 5)

crabbed

adjective

Word Origin for crabbed

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed (2 of 5)

Crab

noun

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed (3 of 5)

crab

noun

verb crabs, crabbing or crabbed

Word Origin for crab

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed (4 of 5)

crab

verb crabs, crabbing or crabbed

noun

Word Origin for crab

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed (5 of 5)

crab

noun

Word Origin for crab

Word Origin and History for crabbed (1 of 3)

crabbed

Word Origin and History for crabbed (1 of 3)

crab

Word Origin and History for crabbed (2 of 3)

crab