blue crab

noun

: a large bluish-green edible crab (Callinectes sapidus of the family Portunidae) of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts

Illustration of blue crab

Illustration of blue crab

Examples of blue crab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web From the deliciously juicy blue crab with mud crab emulsion and black pepper jam, to six different preparations of 14-day aged duck, including roasted duck brain and crispy duck, nobody is going home hungry. Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The co-owners of Jimmy Pearls Virginia Soul Spot say even the company name reflects their heritage: a male blue crab is called a Jimmy, and of course pearls come from oysters. Emiene Wright, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2024 There is one seven-course chef's tasting menu, which changes based on the season but always includes fresh seafood like James River oysters and local blue crab cakes. Catherine Garcia, theweek, 26 Jan. 2024 But, clearly, growing populations of voracious catfish and snakeheads have taken a big bite out of the Chesapeake’s stocks of rockfish, yellow perch and blue crabs. Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2024 Houston, with its proximity to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, also shares Baltimore’s love of seafood — enjoying both blue crabs and crabcakes. Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2024 Hop aboard a boat called Sailfish for a 70-minute excursion through the Mississippi Sound, catching shrimp along with blue crabs, flounder, squid, and other local marine life. Kelsey Ogletree, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2024 The limit on blue crabs is one 5-gallon bucket per day with a 5-inch minimum carapace (shell point to point). David Rainer Alabama Department Of Conservation and Natural Resources, al, 10 Aug. 2023 Chesapeake Bay cleanup stalls as blue crabs drop and pollutants remain Marylanders Grow Oysters is one of the smaller programs run by the Oyster Recovery Partnership, which gets its funding from grants and donations from federal, state and local government as well as corporations and individuals. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 25 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blue 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

1763, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blue crab was in 1763

Dictionary Entries Near blue crab

Cite this Entry

“Blue crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue%20crab. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on blue crab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!