catch a crab

phrase

: to fail to raise an oar clear of the water on recovery of a stroke

Examples of catch a crab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s sculling lingo to learn — eight seat, catching a crab, puddles, the engine room, rushing the slide. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for catch a crab

• taxicab
• ab
• cab
• dab
• drab
• fab
• gab
• grab
• jab
• lab
• mab
• nab