crustacean

[ kruh-stey-shuhn ]

noun

1. any chiefly aquatic arthropod of the class Crustacea, typically having the body covered with a hard shell or crust, including the lobsters, shrimps, crabs, barnacles, and wood lice.

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the crustaceans.

crustacean

/ krʌˈsteɪʃən /

noun

1. any arthropod of the mainly aquatic class Crustacea, typically having a carapace hardened with lime and including the lobsters, crabs, shrimps, woodlice, barnacles, copepods, and water fleas

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Crustacea

crustacean

/ krŭ-stā′shən /

1. Any of various widespread arthropods of the class Crustacea that live mostly in water and have a hard shell, a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Crustaceans include crabs, lobsters, shrimp, barnacles, and copepods.

crustacean

1. A class of arthropods with shells.

Notes

Crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and crayfish are crustaceans.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crustacean¹

1825–35; < New Latin Crustace ( a ) (neuter plural) hard-shelled ones ( crust, -acea ) + -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of crustacean¹

C19: from New Latin crūstāceus hard-shelled, from Latin crūsta shell, crust

Example Sentences

The global patchwork of protected areas they propose is big enough to preserve the 28,594 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, dragonflies and crustaceans for which the researchers have data.

From Science News For Students

If you’ve ever dined on tasty crab, lobster or shrimp, you’ve eaten a crustacean.

From Science News For Students

Scientists have been finding these plastic bits in all kinds of animals, from tiny crustaceans to birds and whales.

From Science News For Students

When hauled up, the sides close from the top, catching crustaceans inside.

From Popular-Science

Octopuses, which prey on crustaceans, worms and mollusks, bob in and out of the bones.

From Science News For Students

Here are four secrets to bring your crustacean habit to a new level.

From The Daily Beast

Another edible crustacean of considerable economic importance is the blue crab.

From Project Gutenberg

A small crustacean very much resembling the lobster, but less indigestible.

From Project Gutenberg

He replied that it was only a familiar species of phyllopodous crustacean, known as Eubranchipus vernalis.

From Project Gutenberg

In form it suggested a huge crab, though it was not very much like any crustacean I had ever seen.

From Project Gutenberg

The eye of a crustacean is a very complicated structure, commonly described as a compound eye.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• shellfish