spider crab

American

noun

any of various crabs of the family Majidae, having long, slender legs and a comparatively small, triangular body.

spider crab British

noun

any of various crabs of the genera Macropodia, Libinia, etc, having a small triangular body and very long legs

"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 spider crab

First recorded in 1700–10

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.

Lorry driver Richard Lee was out for a walk with his friends when he came across thousands of the spider crab carcasses on Aberffraw Bay.

From BBC • Jul. 25, 2022

Don't skip the oysters, the stuffed spider crab, or the roasted leeks.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2022

But before they could seal off one of those instruments with a big plastic bubble, a big, spiky spider crab decided that it would be a perfect perch.

From The Verge • Jul. 5, 2022

We use collagen, cauliflower, spider crab and an in-your-face fashion-yellow shell.

From The Guardian • Mar. 5, 2020

A spider crab was embroidered there, white on a grey-green field.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

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