Definition

1. Noun:

   • A mainly aquatic arthropod: A crustacean is an animal belonging to a large class (Crustacea) of arthropods, typically living in water. They usually have a segmented body, a hard exoskeleton made of chitin, and paired, jointed limbs. Examples include crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and barnacles.

2. Adjective:

   • Of or belonging to the class Crustacea: This describes something that is related to or characteristic of crustaceans.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The crab is a familiar crustacean found on many shores.
  • Scientists studied the diverse crustacean life in the coral reef.

• Adjective:

  • The museum has an exhibit on crustacean anatomy.
  • Crustacean larvae often look very different from the adults.

Advanced Usage

• In scientific classification: The term is used precisely in zoology to refer to members of the subphylum Crustacea within the phylum Arthropoda.
  • The new species was classified as a malacostracan crustacean.

Variants and Related Words

• Crustacea (n): The scientific class name for all crustaceans.
• Crustaceous (adj): An alternative adjective form meaning "of the nature of a crustacean" or "having a hard shell."

Synonyms

• Shellfish (n): While often used interchangeably in cooking, "shellfish" is a broader culinary term that can include mollusks (like clams) as well as crustaceans.
• Arthropod (n): The larger phylum to which crustaceans belong, including insects and spiders.

Related Phrases and Terms

• Exoskeleton: The hard outer shell typical of crustaceans.
• Molting (Ecdysis): The process where a crustacean sheds its old exoskeleton to grow a new, larger one.
  • The lobster hid while molting its crustacean exoskeleton.

Adjective

1. of or belonging to the class Crustacea

Noun

1. any mainly aquatic arthropod usually having a segmented body and chitinous exoskeleton