soft-shell crab
noun
a crab, especially the blue crab, that has recently molted and therefore has a soft, edible shell.
Origin of soft-shell crab
First recorded in 1835–45
Words nearby soft-shell crab
soft-pedal,
soft-rock geology,
soft-sell,
soft-shell,
soft-shell clam,
soft-shell crab,
soft-shelled turtle,
soft-shoe,
soft-soap,
soft-soaper,
soft-spoken
British Dictionary definitions for soft-shell crab
soft-shell crab
noun
a crab, esp of the edible species Cancer pagurus, that has recently moulted and has not yet formed its new shell
Compare hard-shell crab