Crab

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Crab \Crab\ (kr[a^]b), n. [AS. crabba; akin to D. krab, G.
     krabbe, krebs, Icel. krabbi, Sw. krabba, Dan. krabbe, and
     perh. to E. cramp. Cf. {Crawfish}.]
     1. (Zool.) One of the brachyuran Crustacea. They are mostly
        marine, and usually have a broad, short body, covered with
        a strong shell or carapace. The abdomen is small and


        curled up beneath the body.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The name is applied to all the Brachyura, and to
           certain Anomura, as the hermit crabs. Formerly, it was
           sometimes applied to Crustacea in general. Many species
           are edible, the blue crab of the Atlantic coast being
           one of the most esteemed. The large European edible
           crab is {Cancer padurus}. {Soft-shelled crabs} are blue
           crabs that have recently cast their shells. See
           {Cancer}; also, {Box crab}, {Fiddler crab}, {Hermit
           crab}, {Spider crab}, etc., under {Box}, {Fiddler}.
           etc.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The zodiacal constellation Cancer.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. [See {Crab}, a.] (Bot.) A crab apple; -- so named from its
        harsh taste.
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              When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
              Then nightly sings the staring owl.   --Shak.
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     4. A cudgel made of the wood of the crab tree; a crabstick.
        [Obs.] --Garrick.
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     5. (Mech.)
        (a) A movable winch or windlass with powerful gearing,
            used with derricks, etc.
        (b) A form of windlass, or geared capstan, for hauling
            ships into dock, etc.
        (c) A machine used in ropewalks to stretch the yarn.
        (d) A claw for anchoring a portable machine.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     {Calling crab}. (Zool.) See {Fiddler}., n., 2.
  
     {Crab apple}, a small, sour apple, of several kinds; also,
        the tree which bears it; as, the European crab apple
        ({Pyrus Malus} var. sylvestris); the Siberian crab apple
        ({Pyrus baccata}); and the American ({Pyrus coronaria}).
        
  
     {Crab grass}. (Bot.)
        (a) A grass ({Digitaria sanguinalis} syn. {Panicum
            sanguinalis}); -- called also {finger grass}.
        (b) A grass of the genus {Eleusine} ({Eleusine Indica});
            -- called also {dog's-tail grass}, {wire grass}, etc.
            
  
     {Crab louse} (Zool.), a species of louse ({Phthirius pubis}),
        sometimes infesting the human body.
  
     {Crab plover} (Zool.), an Asiatic plover ({Dromas ardeola}).
        
  
     {Crab's eyes}, or {Crab's stones}, masses of calcareous
        matter found, at certain seasons of the year, on either
        side of the stomach of the European crawfishes, and
        formerly used in medicine for absorbent and antacid
        purposes; the gastroliths.
  
     {Crab spider} (Zool.), one of a group of spiders
        ({Laterigrad[ae]}); -- called because they can run
        backwards or sideways like a crab.
  
     {Crab tree}, the tree that bears crab applies.
  
     {Crab wood}, a light cabinet wood obtained in Guiana, which
        takes a high polish. --McElrath.
  
     {To catch a crab} (Naut.), a phrase used of a rower:
        (a) when he fails to raise his oar clear of the water;
        (b) when he misses the water altogether in making a
            stroke.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Crab \Crab\ (kr[a^]b), v. t.
     1. To make sour or morose; to embitter. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Sickness sours or crabs our nature.   --Glanvill.
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     2. To beat with a crabstick. [Obs.] --J. Fletcher.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Crab \Crab\, v. i. (Naut.)
     To drift sidewise or to leeward, as a vessel. --Ham. Nav.
     Encyc.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Crab \Crab\, a. [Prob. from the same root as crab, n.]
     Sour; rough; austere.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           The crab vintage of the neighb'ring coast. --Dryden.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  crab
       n 1: decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened
            carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax
            and pincers
       2: a quarrelsome grouch [syn: {crabby person}]
       3: (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Cancer
          [syn: {Cancer}]
       4: the fourth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from
          about June 21 to July 22 [syn: {Cancer}, {Cancer the Crab}]
       5: the edible flesh of any of various crabs [syn: {crabmeat}]
       6: infests the pubic region of the human body [syn: {crab louse},
           {pubic louse}, {Phthirius pubis}]
       7: a stroke of the oar that either misses the water or digs too
          deeply; "he caught a crab and lost the race"
       v 1: direct (an aircraft) into a crosswind
       2: scurry sideways like a crab
       3: fish for crab
       4: complain; "What was he hollering about?" [syn: {gripe}, {grouse},
           {beef}, {squawk}, {bellyache}, {holler}]
       [also: {crabbing}, {crabbed}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  142 Moby Thesaurus words for "crab":
     Chinese windlass, Dungeness crab, Japanese crab, Spanish windlass,
     air a grievance, bank, beef, bellyache, bellyacher, bitch, bleat,
     blue point, bollix, capstan, cat flea, chigoe, clam, clamor,
     cockroach, complain, complainant, complainer, coquillage, cramp,
     crane, crank, crawdad, crawfish, crayfish, crib, crimp, croak,
     croaker, crosspatch, derrick, dip, dog flea, erector, faultfinder,
     feather, fishtail, flea, forklift, foul up, fret, fret and fume,
     frondeur, fuss, gantry crane, grayback, gripe, griper, groan,
     grouch, grouse, grouser, growl, growler, grumble, grumbler, grunt,
     gum, gum up, hoist, holler, howl, hydraulic tailgate, jack,
     jackscrew, jigger, kick, kicker, kvetch, langouste, lever, lift,
     lifter, limpet, littleneck clam, lobster, lodge a complaint, loop,
     louse, louse up, malcontent, mite, murmur, murmurer, mussel,
     mutter, mutterer, nit, oyster, parasite, periwinkle, plow,
     porpoise, prawn, pull out, pull up, push down, quahog, queer,
     querulous person, raise a howl, reactionary, reactionist, rebel,
     red bug, reel, register a complaint, roach, roll, sand flea,
     scallop, shellfish, shrimp, sideslip, skid, snafu, snail,
     soft-shell crab, sorehead, spin, spiral, squawk, steamer, stunt,
     tackle, take on, undulate, vermin, weevil, whelk, whiner, winch,
     windlass, yammer, yap, yaw, yawp, yelp