crab

== English == === Pronunciation === enPR: krăb (Received Pronunciation, General American, Australian) IPA(key): /kɹæb/ (Standard Southern British, Northern England) IPA(key): /ˈkɹab/ (Scotland, Wales) IPA(key): /ˈkɾab/ (Northern Ireland) IPA(key): /ˈkɻab/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈkɹɛb/ Rhymes: -æb === Etymology 1 === From Middle English crabbe, from Old English crabba (“crab; crayfish; cancer”), from Proto-West Germanic *krabbō, from Proto-Germanic *krabbô, from *krabbōną (“to scratch”), from Proto-Indo-European *grobʰeh₂yéti (“to scratch”), a metathesised o-grade of *gerbʰ- (“to carve, scratch”). More at carve. Other origins have also been suggested, see Ancient Greek κάραβος (kárabos) (regarding the possibility of a substrate origin) and Persian خرچنگ (regarding possible ideophonic origin); compare also Old Armenian քարբ (kʻarb), German Krebs. ==== Noun ==== crab (countable and uncountable, plural crabs) Any crustacean of the infraorder Brachyura, having five pairs of legs, the foremost of which are in the form of claws, and a carapace. (uncountable) The meat of this crustacean, served as food; crabmeat. Various other animals that resemble true crabs: Any of various crustacean in the infraorder Anomura, usually excluding squat lobsters. A horseshoe crab. A bad-tempered person. (in plural crabs, informal) An infestation of pubic lice (Pthirus pubis). (uncountable, aviation) Ellipsis of crab angle. (poker slang) A playing card with the rank of three. (rowing) A position in rowing where the oar is pushed under the rigger by the force of the water. A defect in an outwardly normal object that may render it inconvenient and troublesome to use. (dated) An unsold book that is returned to the publisher. (Singapore, military, slang) On an insignia, a coat of arms symbol representing a senior rank. (derogatory, Blood slang) A member of the Crips. Coordinate terms: hoochie, slob ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== crab (third-person singular simple present crabs, present participle crabbing, simple past and past participle crabbed) (intransitive) To fish for crabs. (transitive, US, slang) To ruin. (intransitive) To complain. (transitive) To complain about. (intransitive) To drift or move sideways or to leeward (by analogy with the movement of a crab). To move in a manner that involves keeping low and clinging to surfaces. (transitive, film, television) To move (a camera) sideways. (transitive, aviation) To navigate (an aircraft, e.g. a glider) sideways against an air current in order to maintain a straight-line course. (obsolete, World War I) To fly slightly off the straight-line course towards an enemy aircraft, as the machine guns on early aircraft did not allow firing through the propeller disk. (rare) To back out of something. (zoology, of sugar gliders) To make a loud, rapid rattling sound when scared, stressed, or agitated. ===== Derived terms ===== crabber crabbing crabble === Etymology 2 === From Middle English crabbe (“wild apple”), of Germanic origin, plausibly from North Germanic, cognate with Swedish dialect skrabba (“sour apple, apple cart”). ==== Noun ==== crab (plural crabs) A crab apple or wild apple. A tree bearing crab apples, which has a dogbane-like bitter bark with medical use. A cudgel made of the wood of the crab tree; a crabstick. A movable winch or windlass with powerful gearing, used with derricks, etc. A form of windlass, or geared capstan, for hauling ships into dock, etc. A machine used in ropewalks to stretch the yarn. A claw for anchoring a portable machine. ===== Synonyms ===== (crab apple): crab apple (tree): crab apple ===== Derived terms ===== ==== Verb ==== crab (third-person singular simple present crabs, present participle crabbing, simple past and past participle crabbed) (obsolete) To irritate, make surly or sour To be ill-tempered; to complain or find fault. (British dialect) To cudgel or beat, as with a crabstick (obsolete, transitive) To offend or insult. (Can we date this quote by Packman's Paternoster and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?) If I think one thing and speak another, / I will both crab Christ and our Ladie His mother. ===== Derived terms ===== === Etymology 3 === Possibly a corruption of the genus name Carapa ==== Noun ==== crab (plural crabs) The tree species Carapa guianensis, native to South America. ===== Derived terms ===== crab-nut crab oil === Etymology 4 === From carabiner. ==== Noun ==== crab (plural crabs) (informal) Clipping of carabiner, modified based on likening the shape of a carabiner to a crab's claw. === Further reading === “crab”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. crab on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. →ISBN Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of the English Language. International Edition. combined with Britannica World Language Dictionary. Chicago-London etc., Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc., 1965. === Anagrams === BRCA, CRBA, BCAR, BRAC, carb-, carb, cbar, RBAC == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === Inherited from Old English crabba. ==== Noun ==== crab alternative form of crabbe (“crab”) === Etymology 2 === Of Germanic origin, plausibly from North Germanic. ==== Noun ==== crab alternative form of crabbe (“crabapple”) == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French crabe. === Noun === crab m (plural crabi) crab ==== Declension ==== ==== See also ==== crevetă homar rac