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Definition of coconut crab
: a large burrowing land crab (Birgus latro) that is widely distributed about islands of the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans, has a varied omnivorous diet that includes coconuts, and possesses an oily flesh which is esteemed as a local delicacy
Examples of coconut crab in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Seychelles Average winter temperatures: High of 87 degrees, low of 76 degrees
Giant tortoises, coconut crabs, and black parrots claim this idyllic archipelago as home, due north of Madagascar.
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Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "12 Warm Winter Vacations in Places That Never Get Cold," 19 Dec. 2019 As the largest land invertebrate on the planet, coconut crabs can measure up to three feet across and clock in at over nine pounds.
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Rachel Hartigan Shea, National Geographic, "Colossal crabs may hold clue to Amelia Earhart fate," 20 Aug. 2019 Nam Island, which is adjacent to the site and was blown in half during the Bravo operation, is home to fairy terns and giant coconut crabs and is a nesting site for sea turtles.
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Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, "Radiation in parts of the Marshall Islands is far higher than Chernobyl, study says," 15 July 2019 Nam Island, which is adjacent to the site and was blown in half during the Bravo operation, is home to fairy terns and giant coconut crabs and is a nesting site for sea turtles.
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Susanne Rust, latimes.com, "Radioactivity in parts of the Marshall Islands is far higher than Chernobyl, study says," 15 July 2019 One person in the group ended up administering first aid when a coconut crab hunt resulted in some bad burns.
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Jeannette Hinkle, azcentral, "Jeff Flake takes tech executives on survivalist trip to Marshall Islands," 10 July 2019 The tortoises didn’t seem to distinguish between me—a National Geographic photographer—and a frigatebird or a coconut crab or a flightless rail.
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Ngm Maps, National Geographic, "Tortoises rule on this isolated island," 12 June 2019 At night coconut crabs scuttled across the roof to the sound of screeching metal.
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Ngm Maps, National Geographic, "Tortoises rule on this isolated island," 12 June 2019 This would include conspiracy theories that the aviation pioneer was taken captive by the Japanese, or the strange notion that her body may have been eaten by coconut crabs on the remote Nikumaroro island.
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Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, "Amelia Earhart’s In-Flight Menu Included This Staple Southern Ingredient," 11 July 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coconut crab.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for coconut crab
The first known use of coconut crab was in 1848
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