crab
krab
Crab (noun) means a sea creature with a hard shell, pincers, and a sideways walk. Example: “We caught a bucket of crabs off the pier.”
noun
1
A sea creature with a hard shell, pincers, and a sideways walk.
"We caught a bucket of crabs off the pier."
"A small crab scuttled sideways across the wet sand."
"The restaurant serves fresh crab with lemon and brown bread."
verb
1
To complain or grumble.
"He kept crabbing about the delayed flight."
"Stop crabbing about the weather and help me pack the car."
"My uncle crabs about the price of everything, even a cup of tea."
2
To move sideways or drift off course, as an aircraft does against crosswind.
"The pilot had to crab the plane into the wind to line up with the runway."
"In a strong crosswind, pilots must crab slightly to stay on the runway line."
"The small plane crabbed along its route until the gusts finally died down."
How to use crab
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe sea creature, or, informally, to complain.
Common pairings
catch crabs
crab about something
crab meat
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Word forms
- Plural
- crabs
- Third person singular
- crabs
- Past tense
- crabbed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We caught a bucket of _____ off the pier.
Etymology
From Old English crabba, an ancient Germanic word for the shelled sea creature; the "complain" sense likely grew from the animal's irritable, snapping reputation.
Related words
Rhymes for crab
See all rhymes for crab →Frequently asked questions
What does “crab” mean?
The word “crab” means a sea creature with a hard shell, pincers, and a sideways walk. In plain terms, the sea creature, or, informally, to complain.
How do you pronounce “crab”?
“Crab” is pronounced krab (/kɹæb/ in IPA).
How do you use “crab” in a sentence?
Here is “crab” used in a sentence: “We caught a bucket of crabs off the pier.”
What is another word for “crab”?
Words with a similar meaning to “crab” include crab apple.
What part of speech is “crab”?
Depending on how it is used, “crab” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “crab” come from?
The word “crab” comes from Old English. From Old English crabba, an ancient Germanic word for the shelled sea creature; the "complain" sense likely grew from the animal's irritable, snapping reputation.
Is “crab” a common word?
“Crab” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “crab” have?
“Crab” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sea creature with a hard shell, pincers, and a sideways walk.
What is the difference between crab as a verb meaning to complain and crab meaning to drift sideways?
When crab means to complain or grumble, it describes irritable speech, as in "he crabbed about the delay." When it describes movement, crab means to drift or move sideways off a straight course, a term especially used for aircraft flying at an angle into a crosswind to stay on their intended path.
Why do aircraft crab during landing?
Pilots deliberately crab an aircraft, pointing its nose slightly into a crosswind, to counteract the wind's sideways push and keep the plane tracking straight over the runway. Just before touchdown, the pilot typically straightens the aircraft to align the wheels with the runway.
Why does a crab walk sideways?
A crab's body shape and the structure of its legs make sideways movement more efficient than moving forward, since its jointed legs bend most easily in that direction. This sideways gait is so distinctive that it gave rise to the verb sense of "crabbing," meaning to move or drift sideways.
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