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spider crab
noun
: any of a family (Majidae) of crabs with extremely long legs and nearly triangular bodies which they often cover with kelp
Examples of spider crab in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Octopi, spider crabs, urchins, and countless fish are already settling in.
—Terry Ward, TIME, 25 July 2024
Monterey is famous for its kelp forests and the unique marine life that thrives in that ecosystem, like sea otters, spider crabs, nudibranchs, massive sea stars, and sea lions.
—Outside Online, 24 July 2024
In our quest for Wild Wales, we were supposed to have been at the bottom of Cardigan Bay, snorkeling for spider crabs with James Lynch.
—Tom Vanderbilt, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2024
In the deep, 13-foot-wide giant spider crabs are usually the predators themselves.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 25 Apr. 2024
Also on the menu were massive crab legs from Japanese spider crabs, bison burgers, ice cream and cheese straws.
—David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 7 May 2023
What is a Japanese spider crab?
—National Geographic, 16 Sep. 2020
In the depths of the Pacific Ocean lives the otherworldly Japanese spider crab.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2022
Then there was a fresh chickpea salad, followed by ravioli of spider crab and algae, individually and beautifully plated on Vista Alegre tableware (the most prestigious in Portugal).
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spider 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
circa 1710, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near spider crab
Cite this Entry
“Spider crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spider%20crab. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
spider crab
noun
: any of numerous crabs with very long legs and nearly triangular bodies
More from Merriam-Webster on spider crab
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spider crab
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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