crabbing

American  

[krab-ing] / ˈkræb ɪŋ /

noun

1. the activity or occupation of fishing for crabs.

2. a finishing process for reducing shrinkage and creasing of woolens and worsteds by stretching the fabric on a rotating cylinder and immersing in hot or, sometimes, cold water.

3. Aeronautics. the maneuver of heading partly into the wind to compensate for drift.

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Etymology

Origin of crabbing

First recorded in 1870–75; crab ¹ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

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

Thousands of people tune in to watch pilots perform a "crabbing" movement during stormy conditions and strong crosswinds.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2025

And the weeks that are open to crabbing pose some of the most dangerous wind and weather conditions of the season.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2025

When McArthur and Burris were filming the “Marsh Ruins,” they fielded warnings from the men crabbing on the pier.

From New York Times • Jul. 29, 2023

From November to March, he was tonging for oysters, and from late April into the fall, he was crabbing.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson