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oyster crab

noun

a pea crab, Pinnotheres ostreum, the female of which lives as a commensal within the mantle cavity of oysters.

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Origin of oyster crab

First recorded in 1750–60

Words nearby oyster crab

oyster, Oyster Bay, oyster bed, oyster cap, oystercatcher, oyster crab, oyster cracker, oystered, oyster farm, oysterfish, oyster fork
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for oyster crab

  • The oyster-crab is a true messmate, and its presence in the oyster may be advantageous in helping to provide food for its host.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold

British Dictionary definitions for oyster crab

oyster crab

noun

any of several small soft-bodied crabs of the genus Pinnotheres, esp P. ostreum, that live as commensals in the mantles of oysters
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