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Glite Dictionary
krab cake

krab cake

4.7
A cooked patty made from imitation crab and other ingredients
  • noun
  • /kræb keɪk/
  • US
translation icon : pastel de cangrejo
  • She learned how to make homemade krab cakes using canned imitation crab meat.

Examples

  • Many diners prefer a krab cake because it is more affordable than a traditional crab cake.

  • The chef served the krab cake with a spicy remoulade sauce.

  • I love eating krab cake for lunch.

  • Have you ever tried a krab cake?

  • Many diners prefer a krab cake because it is more affordable than a traditional crab cake.

  • The chef served the krab cake with a spicy remoulade sauce.

  • She learned how to make homemade krab cakes using canned imitation crab meat.

Synonyms

fish cake
vskrab cake
2 2.0

A small fried patty made from flaked fish mixed with potatoes

uses imitation crab meat rather than flaked real fish as the primary patty ingredient

Surface Forms

krab cake singular
krab cakes plural

Morphology

krab + cake

The meaning is compositionally predictable if the learner recognises 'krab' as a (nonstandard) form of 'crab' or as 'imitation crab' and 'cake' as a patty — together yielding 'a patty made from krab/crab'. However, 'krab' is a nonstandard spelling and is listed as not found in the dictionary here, so many B1 learners who only know standard 'crab' may not map it immediately; this partial predictability makes the expression semi-transparent.

Etymology

The noun krab cake may come from cheaper crab-style cakes made with a product labeled krab, a spelling that shows it is 'imitation crab'. That image of a cake or patty made from fake crab helps explain why the term means a crab-style patty made from imitation crab meat.