blue crab

Thân thiện

A blue crab scuttles sideways across the sandy ocean floor.

Definition

Noun: 1. A species of crab: A bluish-colored, edible crab (Callinectes sapidus) native to the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coasts of North America. It is a common and important source of fresh crabmeat. 2. The meat of this crab: The edible flesh harvested from the blue crab.

Usage Examples

• As the animal:
  • The blue crab is easily identified by its distinctive blue claws and olive-green shell.
  • We went crabbing in the estuary and caught several blue crabs.
• As the food:
  • This restaurant is famous for its blue crab cakes.
  • For the salad, I prefer the sweet, delicate flavor of blue crab.

Advanced Usage

• "Soft-shell blue crab": Refers to a blue crab that has recently molted its hard exoskeleton. During this brief period, the entire crab is soft and can be eaten whole.
  • The seasonal specialty of fried soft-shell blue crab is a delicacy.

Variants and Related Words

• Blue-claw crab: A common regional name for the blue crab.
• Chesapeake blue crab: A famous regional variety from the Chesapeake Bay.
• Callinectes sapidus: The scientific (Latin) name for the species.

Synonyms

• Atlantic blue crab
• Chesapeake crab (regional)

Related Phrases

• To pick blue crab: The act of extracting meat from a cooked blue crab, which is often a social, hands-on dining experience.
  • We spent the afternoon on the dock, learning how to properly pick blue crab.

Học thuật

Noun

1. bluish edible crab of Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of North America
2. Atlantic crab; most common source of fresh crabmeat

Từ đồng nghĩa

• callinectes sapidus