crab

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English crabbe, from Old English crabba; akin to Old High German krebiz crab and perhaps to Old English ceorfan to carve — more at carve Date: before 12th century 1. plural crabs also crab any of numerous chiefly marine broadly built decapod crustaceans: a. any of an infraorder (Brachyura) with a short broad usually flattened carapace, a small abdomen that curls forward beneath the body, short antennae, and the anterior pair of limbs modified as grasping pincers b. any of various crustaceans of an infraorder (Anomura) resembling true crabs in the more or less reduced condition of the abdomen 2. capitalized cancer 1 3. plural infestation with crab lice 4. the angular difference between an aircraft's course and the heading necessary to make that course in the presence of a crosswind II. verb (crabbed; crabbing) Date: 1657 intransitive verb 1. to fish for crabs 2. a. (1) to move sideways indirectly or diagonally (2) to crab an airplane b. to scuttle or scurry sideways transitive verb 1. to cause to move sideways or in an indirect or diagonal manner; specifically to head (an airplane) into a crosswind to counteract drift 2. to subject to crabbing • crabber noun III. noun Etymology: Middle English crabbe, perhaps from crabbe 1crab Date: 14th century crab apple IV. noun Date: 1580 an ill-tempered person ; grouch V. verb (crabbed; crabbing) Etymology: Middle English crabben, probably back-formation from crabbed Date: 1662 transitive verb 1. to make sullen ; sour <

old age has crabbed his nature

> 2. to complain about peevishly 3. spoil, ruin intransitive verb carp, grouse <

always crabs about the weather

> • crabber noun