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king crab

American  
[king krab] / ˈkɪŋ ˈkræb /

noun

  1. horseshoe crab.

  2. Also called Alaskan king crab, Alaska king crab, Alaska crab. a large, edible crab, Paralithodes camtschatica, of cold waters of the North Pacific Ocean, especially abundant along the coasts of Alaska and Japan.


king crab British  

noun

  1. another name for the horseshoe crab

"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

Etymology

Origin of king crab

First recorded in 1690–1700


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In previous seasons—except when the crab population had absolutely collapsed—the objective was Alaskan king crab or snow crab.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

The red king crab fishery was closed; the snow crab fishery cut to a tenth of the previous year’s take.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 6, 2023

At night, the lodge's chefs served multicourse meals of Alaskan king crab legs or Kobe filet.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2023

The result is that many crustaceans that resemble crabs, like the tasty king crab that's coveted as a seafood delicacy, aren't even technically "true crabs."

From Scientific American ● Jun. 1, 2023

Those who are familiar with our seacoast will know an interesting creature known as the horseshoe crab, or king crab, though in reality it is not a crab at all.

From The Meaning of Evolution by Samuel Christian Schmucker

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