Crab

/kræb/
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Definition

  1. Noun:

    • A marine crustacean: A crab is a decapod crustacean with a broad, flattened carapace, a small abdomen folded under its thorax, eyes on short stalks, and a pair of pincers. It typically moves sideways.
    • The edible flesh of this animal: The meat from a crab, considered a seafood delicacy.
    • A quarrelsome, ill-tempered person: (Informal) A person who is habitually irritable, grouchy, or complaining.
    • A parasitic insect: A louse (Phthirus pubis) that infests human pubic hair; a crab louse.
    • A mechanical device: A winch or hoisting machine, especially one on a ship.
    • An astrological sign: (Capitalized as Cancer) The fourth sign of the zodiac; also, a person born under this sign (approximately June 21 – July 22).
    • A type of apple: A small, sour wild apple or the tree it grows on (crab apple).
    • A rowing error: In rowing, a faulty stroke where the oar either misses the water or digs in too deeply, often unbalancing the boat.

  2. Verb:

    • To complain peevishly: To grumble or express discontent in an irritable way.
    • To fish for crabs: To catch crabs, typically using traps or nets.
    • To move sideways: To move in a sideways or oblique manner, like a crab.
    • To maneuver an aircraft: In aviation, to point an aircraft's nose into a crosswind to maintain a straight course during landing approach.
Examples of Usage

  • Noun:

    • We found a crab hiding under a rock at the beach.
    • She ordered a plate of steamed crab with butter.
    • Don't be such a crab; try to be more pleasant.
    • The rower caught a crab, causing the boat to wobble.

  • Verb:

    • He's always crabbing about the weather.
    • They went to the pier to crab for their dinner.
    • The car crabbed sideways on the icy road.
Advanced Usage
  • "to catch a crab": In rowing, to make a faulty stroke with an oar.
    • The team lost because one member caught a crab near the finish line.
Variants and Related Words
  • Crabby (adj): Irritable, ill-tempered.
    • He's always crabby before his morning coffee.
  • Crab apple (n): A small, sour wild apple.
    • The jelly is made from crab apples.
  • Crablike (adj/adv): Resembling or moving like a crab.
    • He moved in a crablike crouch.
Synonyms
  • Noun (ill-tempered person): Grouch, curmudgeon, sourpuss.
  • Verb (complain): Grouse, gripe, grumble, whine.
Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Crab" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its verbal uses are typically standalone.)

Related Idioms
  • "Crabs in a barrel": A metaphor describing a situation where individuals, like crabs in a bucket, will pull down anyone who tries to rise or escape, preventing collective success.
    • The office politics felt like crabs in a barrel; no one was allowed to succeed.
Noun
  1. a stroke of the oar that either misses the water or digs too deeply
    • he caught a crab and lost the race
  2. a louse that infests the pubic region of the human body
  3. the edible flesh of any of various crabs
  4. the fourth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about June 21 to July 22
  5. (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Cancer
  6. a quarrelsome grouch
  7. decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers
Verb
  1. complain
    • What was he hollering about?
  2. fish for crab
  3. scurry sideways like a crab
  4. direct (an aircraft) into a crosswind

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