crab

UK: /ˈkræb/ US: /kræb/ ,(krab)

Inflections of 'crab' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

crabs

v 3rd person singular

crabbing

v pres p

crabbed

v past

crabbed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

crab¹ /kræb/   n., v., crabbed, crab•bing. 
n. 

1. Invertebrates [countable] a sea animal, a crustacean having a wide, flattened body and five pairs of legs, the front legs being the largest and having claws.
2. Invertebrates [uncountable] the flesh of the crab.

v. 

3. [no object] to fish for crabs.
4. to move (something) sideways;
   scuttle: [no object]
   The soldiers crabbed forward quickly and dug in.
   [~ + object]
   They crabbed their tanks forward, shooting quickly, reloading, and then moving again.

crab•ber, n. [countable]
crab•like, adj. 

crab³ /kræb/   n., v., crabbed, crab•bing. 
n. [countable]

1. a bad-tempered, unpleasant person:
   The English teacher was an old crab to the kids.

v. [no object]

2. to find fault;
   complain:
   You were always crabbing; didn't you like it there?

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

crab¹  (krab), n., v., crabbed, crab•bing. 
n. 

1. Invertebrates any decapod crustacean of the suborder Brachyura, having the eyes on short stalks and a short, broad, more or less flattened body, the abdomen being small and folded under the thorax.
2. Invertebrates any of various other crustaceans, as the hermit crab, or other animals, as the horseshoe crab, resembling the true crabs.
3. Astronomy (cap.) the zodiacal constellation or sign Cancer.
4. Astronomy (cap.) the Crab Nebula.
5. any of various mechanical contrivances for hoisting or pulling.
6. Aeronautics the maneuver of crabbing.
7. Insects, Informal Terms [Informal.] the crab louse. See under louse (def. 1).
8. crabs:
   • Games (used with a sing. v.) a losing throw, as two aces, in the game of hazard.
   • pediculosis.
9. Nautical, Idioms, Naval Terms catch a crab, to make a faulty stroke in rowing, so that the oar strikes the water forcibly on the backstroke.

v.i. 

10. to catch or attempt to catch crabs.
11. to move sideways, diagonally, or obliquely, esp. with short, abrupt bursts of speed;
    scuttle.
12. Aeronautics (of an aircraft) to head partly into the wind to compensate for drift.
13. Nautical, Naval Terms to drift or advance with some movement sideways, esp. when under tow.

v.t. 

14. to move (a vehicle or object) sideways, diagonally, or obliquely, esp. with short, abrupt movements.
15. Aeronautics to head (an aircraft) partly into the wind to compensate for drift.

• bef. 1000; Middle English crabbe, Old English crabba; cognate with Dutch krab, Old Norse krabbi; akin to German Krebs

crab′like′, adj. 

crab²  (krab), n. 

1. Plant Biology a crab apple fruit or tree.

• 1300–50; Middle English crabbe; perh. special use of crab¹

crab³  (krab), n., v., crabbed, crab•bing. 
n. 

1. [Informal.] an ill-tempered or grouchy person.

v.i. 

2. [Informal.] to find fault;
   complain.
3. (of hawks) to claw each other.

v.t. 

4. [Informal.] to find fault with.
5. to make ill-tempered or grouchy;
   embitter.
6. (of a hawk) to claw (another hawk).
7. [Slang.] to spoil.

• 1350–1400; Middle English; back formation from crabbed

crab′ber, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

crab / kræb/ noun

1. any chiefly marine decapod crustacean of the genus Cancer and related genera (section Brachyura), having a broad flattened carapace covering the cephalothorax, beneath which is folded the abdomen. The first pair of limbs are modified as pincers
   See also fiddler crab, oyster crab
2. any of various similar or related arthropods, such as the hermit crab and horseshoe crab
3. short for crab louse
4. a manoeuvre in which an aircraft flies slightly into the crosswind to compensate for drift
5. a mechanical lifting device, esp the travelling hoist of a gantry crane
7. catch a crab ⇒ to make a stroke in which the oar either misses the water or digs too deeply, causing the rower to fall backwards

verb (crabs, crabbing, crabbed)

1. (intransitive) to hunt or catch crabs
2. (transitive) to fly (an aircraft) slightly into a crosswind to compensate for drift
3. (intransitive) to move forwards with a slight sideways motion, as to overcome an offsetting current
4. (intransitive) to move sideways

Etymology: Old English crabba; related to Old Norse krabbi, Old High German krebiz crab, Dutch krabben to scratch

crab / kræb/ verb (crabs, crabbing, crabbed)

1. (intransitive) to find fault; grumble
2. (transitive) to spoil (esp in the phrase crab someone's act)

noun

1. an irritable person
2. draw the crabs ⇒ to attract unwelcome attention

Etymology: 16th Century: probably back formation from crabbed

crab / kræb/ noun

1. short for crab apple

Etymology: 15th Century: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish skrabbe crab apple

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Crab / kræb/ noun

1. the Crab ⇒ the constellation Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac