crab
1
[ krab ]
/ kræb /
noun
verb (used without object), crabbed, crab·bing.
verb (used with object), crabbed, crab·bing.
to move (a vehicle or object) sideways, diagonally, or obliquely, especially with short, abrupt movements.
Aeronautics.
to head (an aircraft) partly into the wind to compensate for drift.
Idioms for crab
catch a crab,
to make a faulty stroke in rowing, so that the oar strikes the water forcibly on the backstroke.
Origin of crab
1
before 1000; Middle English
crabbe, Old English
crabba; cognate with Dutch
krab, Old Norse
krabbi; akin to German
Krebs
OTHER WORDS FROM crab
crab·like, adjectiveWords nearby crab
Definition for crab (2 of 3)
Origin of crab
2
1300–50; Middle English
crabbe; perhaps special use of
crab1
Definition for crab (3 of 3)
crab
3
[ krab ]
/ kræb /
noun
Informal.
an ill-tempered or grouchy person.
verb (used without object), crabbed, crab·bing.
Informal.
to find fault; complain.
(of hawks) to claw each other.
verb (used with object), crabbed, crab·bing.
Origin of crab
3
1350–1400; Middle English; back formation from
crabbed
OTHER WORDS FROM crab
crab·ber, nounExample sentences from the Web for crab
British Dictionary definitions for crab (1 of 4)
crab
1
/ (kræb) /
noun
verb crabs, crabbing or crabbed
See also
crabs
Word Origin for crab
Old English
crabba; related to Old Norse
krabbi, Old High German
krebiz crab, Dutch
krabben to scratch
British Dictionary definitions for crab (2 of 4)
crab
2
/ (kræb) informal /
verb crabs, crabbing or crabbed
(intr)
to find fault; grumble
(tr) mainly US
to spoil (esp in the phrase crab someone's act)
noun
an irritable person
draw the crabs Australian
to attract unwelcome attention
Word Origin for crab
C16: probably back formation from
crabbed
British Dictionary definitions for crab (3 of 4)
Word Origin for crab
C15: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish
skrabbe crab apple
British Dictionary definitions for crab (4 of 4)
Crab
/ (kræb) /
noun
the Crab
the constellation Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac