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crab 1 (krăb)
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n.
1.
a. Any of various chiefly marine decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, having a hard carapace that covers a broad flattened cephalothorax with a small abdomen tucked beneath it, and an anterior pair of legs that are large and pincerlike.
b. Any of various similar decapod crustaceans, such as a hermit crab or a king crab.
c. Crabmeat.
2.
a. A crab louse.
b. crabs Slang Infestation by crab lice.
3. The maneuvering of an aircraft partially into a crosswind to compensate for drift.
4. A machine for handling or hoisting heavy weights.
v. crabbed, crab·bing, crabs
v.intr.
1. To hunt or catch crabs.
2. To scurry sideways in the manner of a crab.
3. To drift diagonally or sideways, especially when under tow.
4. To direct an aircraft into a crosswind.
v.tr.
1. To direct (an aircraft) partly into a crosswind to eliminate drift.
2. To cause to move or scurry sideways.
Idiom:
catch a crab
To make a faulty stroke in rowing that causes the blade of the oar to strike the water on the recovery stroke.

[Middle English crabbe, from Old English crabba; see gerbh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

crabber n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
crab 2 (krăb)
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n.
1. A crabapple tree or its fruit.
2. A quarrelsome, ill-tempered person.
v. crabbed, crab·bing, crabs
v.intr.
Informal
To find fault; criticize someone or something.
v.tr.
1. Informal To interfere with and ruin; spoil.
2. Informal To find fault with; complain about.
3. To make ill-tempered or sullen.

[Middle English crabbe, possibly from crabbe, crab (shellfish); see CRAB1.]

crabber n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Crab (krăb)
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n.
See Cancer.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.