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| crab [ krab ] |
noun (plural crabs) |
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| Definition: |
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1. flat crustacean: a crustacean with a broad flat shell, antennae, a small abdomen, and five pairs of legs, the front two of which are in the form of grasping pincers. Suborder Brachyura.
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2. crustacean like crab: an animal similar or related to the true crab, e.g. the hermit crab, horseshoe crab, or king crab
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3. flesh of crab: the flesh of a crab used as food
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4. parasitic louse in pubic hair: a parasitic louse resembling a tiny crab that infests the pubic hair of humans, causing inflammation and itching of the skin. Latin name Phthirius pubis.
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5. mechanical engineering crane: a machine similar to a crane designed to lift and move heavy weights
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6. aviation flying maneuver: a flying maneuver in which an aircraft is steered slightly into a crosswind to compensate for drifting off course
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plural noun crabs |
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| Definition: |
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lice infestation: an infestation of crab lice
(
informal
)
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verb (past and past participle crabbed, present participle crab·bing, 3rd person present singular crabs) |
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| Definition: |
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1. intransitive verb catch crabs: to go fishing or hunting for crabs
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2. transitive and intransitive verb scurry sideways: to move sideways as a crab does, or cause something to move in this way
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3. transitive and intransitive verb aviation fly into crosswind: to steer an aircraft slightly into a crosswind to compensate for drifting off course
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4. intransitive verb nautical sail with sideways drift: to sail forward with a slight sideways drift caused by a current
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| [ Old English crabba< Indo-European, "scratch"] |
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  crab·ber noun |
| crab·like adjective |
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catch a crab in rowing, to make a faulty stroke by failing to make contact with the water or plunging the oar blade in too deeply
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