crab

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈkrab 

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

crab

2 of 5

verb (1)

crabbed; crabbing

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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

crab

3 of 5

noun (2)

: crab apple

crab

4 of 5

noun (3)

: an ill-tempered person : grouch

crab

5 of 5

verb (2)

crabbed; crabbing

transitive verb

1

: to make sullen : sour

old age has crabbed his nature

2

: to complain about peevishly

3

: spoil, ruin

intransitive verb

: carp, grouse

always crabs about the weather

Synonyms

Noun (3)

• bear
• bellyacher
• complainer
• crank
• croaker
• crosspatch
• curmudgeon
• fusser
• griper
• grouch
• grouser
• growler
• grumbler
• grump
• murmurer
• mutterer
• sourpuss
• whiner

Verb (2)

• beef
• bellyache
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• caterwaul
• complain
• croak
• fuss
• gripe
• grizzle
• grouch
• grouse
• growl
• grumble
• grump
• holler
• inveigh
• keen
• kick
• kvetch
• maunder [chiefly British]
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• repine
• scream
• squawk
• squeal
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer
• yawp
• yaup
• yowl

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

Verb

The 21-foot white Bayliner reportedly had six occupants — three adults and three juveniles — and had been crabbing off of Bodega. —John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024

Tacos & Cantina serves tasty Mexican street food and Latin American bites from blue corn tacos to crab meat puff sandwiches, Iberian gourmet burgers, authentic beef empanadas, and tamales paired with reposado tequila, tobala mezcal, the ‘king of mezcals’ and bottomless jugs of Spanish sangria. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024

Noun

Unless there is a shark approaching you, in which case scurry sideways like a crab. —Viktoria Shulevich, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

That plan aged like Maryland crab left out in the sun. —Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English crabbe, from Old English crabba; akin to Old High German krebiz crab and perhaps to Old English ceorfan to carve — more at carve

Noun (2)

Middle English crabbe, perhaps from crabbe crab entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English crabben, probably back-formation from crabbed

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1657, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1580, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1662, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing crab

• Alaskan king crab
• blue crab
• catch a crab
• coconut crab
• crab apple
• crab-eating macaque
• crab louse
• crab rangoon
• crab spider
• Dungeness crab
• fiddler crab
• giant crab spider
• hard-shell crab
• hermit crab
• horseshoe crab
• king crab
• oyster crab
• she-crab
• snow crab
• spider crab
• stone crab
• tanner crab

Kids Definition

crab

1 of 4 noun

ˈkrab 

1

: 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

3 of 4 verb

crabbed; crabbing

: to find fault : complain

crab

4 of 4 noun

1

: crab apple

2

: a sour ill-tempered person

Medical Definition

crab

noun

ˈkrab 

1

: 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

crabs plural : infestation with pubic lice