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crabbed

[ krab-id, krabd ]
/ ˈkræb ɪd, kræbd /
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adjective
hard to understand; intricate and obscure.
difficult to read or decipher, as handwriting.
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Origin of crabbed

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at crab3, -ed3

OTHER WORDS FROM crabbed

crab·bed·ly, adverbcrab·bed·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use crabbed in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for crabbed

crabbed
/ (ˈkræbɪd) /

adjective
surly; irritable; perverse
(esp of handwriting) cramped and hard to decipher

Derived forms of crabbed

crabbedly, adverbcrabbedness, noun

Word Origin for crabbed

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