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Glite Dictionary
Cancer borealis

Cancer borealis

9.9
A large red crab called the Jonah crab that lives in deep water off the eastern coast of North America
  • noun
  • /ˈkeɪn.sər bɔˈri.əl.ɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cangrejo jonah
  • Fishermen along the Atlantic coast routinely catch Cancer borealis for commercial sale.

Examples

  • Marine biologists studied Cancer borealis to understand its adaptation to colder environments.

  • The hard shell of Cancer borealis helps protect it from many predators in deep waters.

  • The Cancer borealis is often found in deep waters.

  • Many fishermen target Cancer borealis for its sweet meat.

  • Fishermen along the Atlantic coast routinely catch Cancer borealis for commercial sale.

  • Many fishermen target Cancer borealis for its sweet meat.

  • The hard shell of Cancer borealis helps protect it from many predators in deep waters.

Synonyms

Jonah crab
vsCancer borealis
  • US
8.2

A large red crab from the east coast of North America eaten as seafood

gives the same natural description without focusing on culinary value

Surface Forms

Cancer borealis singular
Cancer boreales plural

Morphology

Cancer + borealis

This is a scientific binomial: 'Cancer' is the genus of crabs and 'borealis' is a Latin epithet meaning 'northern' (as in aurora borealis), so a learner who knows both constituents could infer it denotes a northern species of Cancer (i.e. a crab). However, because it is a taxonomic Latin name and the precise common name ('Jonah crab') and specific attributes (large red deep-water) are not directly predictable from the parts, the transparency is only partial.

Etymology

Cancer borealis comes from two Latin words. Cancer means 'crab' and borealis means 'northern', so the name literally means 'northern crab' and helps you remember this large crab found along the Atlantic coast.