soft-shell crab

American  

noun

1. a crab, especially the blue crab, that has recently molted and therefore has a soft, edible shell.

---

soft-shell crab British  

noun

1. a crab, esp of the edible species Cancer pagurus, that has recently moulted and has not yet formed its new shell Compare hard-shell crab

---

Etymology

Origin of soft-shell crab

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

soft-shell crab

I ordered a stir fry of crab and broken rice with greens and yam that came topped with a fried soft-shell crab drizzled with shito, a Ghanaian chili sauce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

Chicken, shrimp, soft-shell crab, mixed seafood or tofu can be added to any of the dishes.

From New York Times ● Sep. 13, 2021

The beloved roadside stand’s best offerings are its no-frills fried soft-shell crab sandwiches and fried seafood baskets with a choice of hush puppies or fries.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 2, 2021

This was his second time at the market, selling soft-shell crab sandwiches and pork belly buns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2021

Honestly and seriously, I do think that if the coyote would change off and try the soft-shell crab diet for a while, he would pick right up.

From A Guest at the Ludlow and Other Stories by Edgar Wilson