oyster crab

American

noun

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

oyster crab British

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

Etymology

Origin of oyster crab

First recorded in 1750–60

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.

"Spillway openings are strongly associated with increased oyster, crab and other fisheries production in Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne for several years after the flood events."

From Scientific American • Sep. 17, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023