hermit crab
nounDefinition of hermit crab
: 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
Examples of hermit crab in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some Shore restaurant spaces are like hermit crab shells. — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "Jersey Shore restaurants offer tasty food options from Cape May to LBI," 29 June 2018 My mom also loaded me up with plants to take to my wife, so many plants, as well as three hermit crabs for my daughters. — Greg Trotter, chicagotribune.com, "Buick LeSabre rolls on in memory of Mamaw," 21 June 2018 Officers found 41 deceased animals, including rabbits, snakes, hermit crabs, tarantulas, hamsters, mice and fish. — Kaitlyn Schwers, kansascity, "Pet store was closed for maintenance. 41 animals were dead inside, Illinois cops say," 30 May 2018 Crabs and other critters It’s easy to spot hermit crabs, which inhabit other animal shells and live in the tidal pools. — Susan Moeller, BostonGlobe.com, "A beachcombing guide: Things to find at the beach," 2 May 2018 But ‘Escape to Margaritaville’ is about as much fun as buying a dud hermit crab as a pet. — James Hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Broadway debut of La Jolla Playhouse's Jimmy Buffett musical 'Margaritaville' leaves a sour taste with critics," 16 Mar. 2018 Built into a teak replica of a fishing skiff in the center of the exhibits area, the pool encourages visitors to get their hands wet to engage with Cownose and Atlantic stingrays, along with horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs and sea anemones. — Joe Burbank, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Volusia’s Marine Science Center a hidden treasure at Ponce Inlet," 13 Oct. 2017 The team also found similar structures in close relatives of these sea creatures: cleaner shrimp, pistol shrimp, and hermit crabs. — Giorgia Guglielmi, Science | AAAS, "Mantis shrimp brain contains memory and learning centers found only in insects," 6 Oct. 2017 Wide beaches are crisscrossed by hermit crabs in extravagant shells, and vibrant coral reefs are visible through pristine waters. — Aurora Almendral, New York Times, "For Isolated Philippine Town, a Planned Road Is a Lifeline and a Worry," 24 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hermit crab.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on hermit crab
What made you want to look up hermit crab? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
-
- Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz -
Which Came First? Quiz
Do you know which word is older?
Take the quiz -
Name That Thing
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
Take the quiz -
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game
Share hermit crab
Resources for hermit crab