Illustration of hermit crab
hermit crab
noun
: 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
Examples of hermit crab in a Sentence
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Eventually our guide Shayne saw something far smaller than a turtle: a strawberry hermit crab poking its delicate claws out of a shell.
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Tim Chester, AFAR Media, 17 Apr. 2025
Unfortunately, hermit crabs can struggle to find homes due to the over-collection of shells.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Much as hermit crabs borrow shells, fancy case caterpillars craft elaborate homes with sand, bits of plant material and lichen.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
The dung heap is being dismantled by a scrum of hermit crabs.
—Kevin Gepford, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
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Tim Chester, AFAR Media, 17 Apr. 2025
Unfortunately, hermit crabs can struggle to find homes due to the over-collection of shells.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Much as hermit crabs borrow shells, fancy case caterpillars craft elaborate homes with sand, bits of plant material and lichen.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
The dung heap is being dismantled by a scrum of hermit crabs.
—Kevin Gepford, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hermit crab
Cite this Entry
“Hermit crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hermit%20crab. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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