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Glite Dictionary
mantis crab

mantis crab

8.9
A tropical sea animal like a crab that lives in burrows and uses large front claws to catch prey
  • noun
  • /ˈmæntɪs kræb/
translation icon : camarón mantis
  • The mantis crab is famous for its incredibly fast and powerful claw strikes.

Examples

  • Divers sometimes spot mantis crabs hiding in crevices on the reef.

  • A mantis crab uses its grasping appendages to catch unsuspecting prey.

  • The mantis crab is known for its powerful claws.

  • Have you ever seen a mantis crab in its natural habitat?

  • A mantis crab uses its grasping appendages to catch unsuspecting prey.

  • The mantis crab is famous for its incredibly fast and powerful claw strikes.

  • Divers sometimes spot mantis crabs hiding in crevices on the reef.

Synonyms

mantis shrimp
vsmantis crab
1 7.5

A tropical sea creature with bright colors and very strong claws

lives in burrows and highlights burrowing and hunting behavior rather than color
mantis prawn
vsmantis crab
  • UK
9.2

A large sea animal with strong front claws that hunts fish and crabs

focuses on life in burrows and specific burrow hunting behavior
stomatopod
vsmantis crab
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea animal called mantis shrimp with very strong front claws and eyes made of many parts

emphasizes burrow dwelling and hunting rather than anatomical features
Stomatopoda
vsmantis crab
  • Specialized
9.9

Sea animals like mantis shrimp that have strong front claws for hunting

refers to single burrow-dwelling animals rather than the whole taxonomic group

Surface Forms

mantis crab singular
mantis crabs plural

Morphology

mantis + crab

This is a transparent noun compound: 'mantis' modifies 'crab' to indicate a crab with mantis-like, grasping hunting appendages, which directly follows from the meanings of the constituents. Animal-based compounds of this sort are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both 'mantis' and 'crab' would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Mantis crab gets its name because its front legs look and act like a praying mantis's arms, and the animal is a crab that uses them to reach out and grab prey. That clear picture explains why the name means a sea animal with large, fast claws used 'to hunt'.