hermit crab

noun

: any of numerous chiefly marine small decapod crustaceans (especially families Diogenidae, Paguridae, and Parapaguridae) having soft asymmetrical abdomens and occupying the empty shells of gastropods

Illustration of hermit crab

Illustration of hermit crab

Examples of hermit crab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other animals taking up temporary shelter include: moon jellies, six snakes, three lizards, three turtles, two alligators, two toads and a hermit crab. Kathryn Varn, Axios, 8 Oct. 2024 And so the story goes, filled with all manner of quirky and hysterical, including a bus that's powered by gerbils, a dean of students who's a hermit crab, and a bold mission to save the town of Antiquarium from an evil cabal of nefarious mad scientists. Mia Taylor, Parents, 4 Oct. 2024 There are hermit crabs, lizards and gumtree snakes. Marylou Costa, Contributor, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2024 My fiancée Rita and I had poached camping in the Whitney Portal, usurping a spot that someone had reserved and abandoned like scrappy hermit crabs. Jake Stern, Outside Online, 3 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for hermit crab 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hermit crab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1735, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hermit crab was in 1735

Dictionary Entries Near hermit crab

Cite this Entry

“Hermit crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hermit%20crab. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hermit crab

noun
: any of various small crabs that occupy empty mollusk shells

More from Merriam-Webster on hermit crab

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