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Glite Dictionary
Jonah crab

Jonah crab

8.2
A large red crab from the east coast of North America eaten as seafood
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒoʊ.nə kræb/
  • US
translation icon : cangrejo jonah
  • Jonah crab meat is increasingly popular in North American seafood restaurants.

Examples

  • The fishermen hauled in several Jonah crabs along with their lobster traps.

  • Marine biologists studied the migration patterns of the Jonah crab in winter.

  • The Jonah crab is a delicacy in many seafood restaurants.

  • Many fishermen catch Jonah crabs during the summer.

  • The restaurant's special dish featured Jonah crab sautéed with garlic and herbs.

  • During our trip to Maine, we enjoyed fresh Jonah crab caught that morning.

  • The chef recommended the Jonah crab for its sweet and tender meat.

Synonyms

Cancer borealis
vsJonah crab
  • Specialized
9.9

A large red crab called the Jonah crab that lives in deep water off the eastern coast of North America

means the same species but is the common seafood name

Surface Forms

Jonah crab singular
Jonah crabs plural

Morphology

Jonah + crab

This is a noun phrase naming a type of crab: the head noun 'crab' gives the essential meaning (a kind of crab) and 'Jonah' functions as a label/eponym, so a learner who knows 'crab' can infer it refers to a particular species. While 'Jonah' does not convey the species' specific properties (size, habitat), the composition follows a common naming pattern and is therefore immediately comprehensible to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Jonah crab may come from old fishing talk: sailors used Jonah for someone who brings 'bad luck', so they began calling this large red crab a Jonah crab. That's why the name today simply means the edible red crab found on the coast.