ghost crab

noun

1. a whitish crab, Ocypode albicans, of sandy beaches from the eastern coast of the U.S. to Brazil.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ghost crab¹

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Example Sentences

Cat told him about Harriet, ghost crab hunting, and what it was like to know Macon and Lily after all this time.

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The scientists set up a series of microphones around ghost crab tanks and provoked the animals with rods, other crabs, or spiderlike remote-controlled toys.

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Using the gastric mill for communication frees up the ghost crab’s claws for fighting and defense and even allows the animals to communicate during battles, enabling them to broadcast their size to intimidate rivals.

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The ghost crab may change that.

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This “stridulation” is often a response to threats—either from a predator or another ghost crab.

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