land crab

American  

noun

1. any of several crabs, especially of the family Gecarcinidae, that live chiefly upon land, returning to the sea to breed.

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land crab British  

noun

1. any of various crabs, esp of the tropical family Gecarcinidae, that are adapted to a partly terrestrial life

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Etymology

Origin of land crab

First recorded in 1630–40

Example Sentences

Ascension Island has a wealth of species native to the island that have been affected by plastic pollution, such as the land crab, frigate bird and various species of sharks, turtles, fish and seabirds.

From BBC

The blue land crab can be found in low-lying coastal counties in southern Florida.

From Fox News

Mr. Rodriques said he cried, just as he had when he lost his twig mantis, his pink toe tarantula and Mr. Crabs the blue land crab.

From New York Times

Biodiversity catalogued in the reserve includes - in addition to the corals - more than 1,000 species of fish; endangered green and hawksbill turtles; the world's biggest land crab, the metre-spanning coconut crab; and breeding colonies of terns and shearwaters.

From BBC

The largest land animal was a variety of land crab.

From BBC