often attributive
1
plural crabs also crab
: any of numerous chiefly marine broadly built decapod crustaceans:
a
: any of an infraorder (Brachyura) with a short broad usually flattened carapace, a small abdomen that curls forward beneath the body, short antennae, and the anterior pair of limbs modified as grasping pincers
b
: any of various crustaceans of an infraorder (Anomura) resembling true crabs in the more or less reduced condition of the abdomen
2
capitalized
: cancer sense 1
3
crabs plural
: infestation with crab lice
4
: the angular difference between an aircraft's course and the heading necessary to make that course in the presence of a crosswind
crabbed; crabbing
1
: to fish for crabs
2
a(1)
: to move sideways indirectly or diagonally
(2)
: to crab an airplane
b
: to scuttle or scurry sideways
1
: to cause to move sideways or in an indirect or diagonal manner
specifically
: to head (an airplane) into a crosswind to counteract drift
2
: to subject to crabbing
crabbed; crabbing
1
: to make sullen : sour
old age has crabbed his nature
2
: to complain about peevishly
Examples of crab in a Sentence
Noun (3)
you're always such a crab in the morning!
Verb (2)
their two-year-old whined and crabbed for the whole car trip
crabbed the blossoming romance by becoming moody and demanding
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Snyder, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2025
Spend a day out on the water with a boat and gear rentals for crabbing or clamming.
—Molly Allen, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2025
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 9 May 2025
Their reception included several tributes to Ms. Dennie’s Caribbean roots and Maryland upbringing, including music from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and crab cakes made with Old Bay Seasoning.
—Shivani Vora, New York Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for crab
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Verb
Capuchin monkeys patrolled the canopy, which climbed as high as 130 feet, and crabs the color of traffic cones scuttled over roots.
—Michael Snyder, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2025
Spend a day out on the water with a boat and gear rentals for crabbing or clamming.
—Molly Allen, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
Choose from a variety of wild Alaskan crab legs or domestic crab claws.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 9 May 2025
Their reception included several tributes to Ms. Dennie’s Caribbean roots and Maryland upbringing, including music from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and crab cakes made with Old Bay Seasoning.
—Shivani Vora, New York Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for crab
Cite this Entry
“Crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crab. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crab
1 of 4 noun1
: any of various crustaceans with a short broad usually flattened shell of chitin, a small abdomen curled forward beneath the body, and a front pair of limbs with strong pincers
also
: any of various other crustaceans resembling the true crabs in having an abdomen much reduced in size
2
capitalized
: cancer sense 1
3
: any of various machines for raising or hauling heavy weights
4
plural
: the state of being infested with crab lice
crab
2 of 4 verb
crabbed; crabbing
: to fish for crabs
crabber
noun
crab
4 of 4 noun1
2
: a sour ill-tempered person
Medical Definition
crab
noun1
: any of a tribe (Brachyura) of chiefly marine crustaceans with a short broad usually flattened carapace, a small abdomen that curls forward beneath the body, short antennae, and the anterior pair of limbs modified as grasping pincers
2
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