calico crab
- noun
- /ˈkælɪkoʊ kræb/
- US
:
cangrejo calico
- The calico crab scuttled across the sandy beach.
Examples
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The calico crab is known for its distinctive, colorful spots on its shell.
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Walking along the shore, we found a calico crab burrowing in the sand near the waterline.
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Children watched as a calico crab scuttled quickly across the beach.
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Have you ever seen a calico crab in its natural habitat?
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On our trip to the beach, we spotted a beautiful calico crab hiding under a rock.
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The children were excited to find a calico crab scurrying across the sand.
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While exploring the tide pools, we came across a vibrant calico crab with its mottled shell.
Synonyms
101
1.0
A sea animal with a flat shell, five pairs of legs, and front claws
A bright spotted crab that lives on sandy beaches along the US Atlantic coast
A small crab with a bright, spotted shell that lives on sandy east coast beaches of the United States
A small crab with bright purple spots on its shell that lives on sandy Atlantic beaches
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'calico' describes a mottled, multicolored pattern and 'crab' names the animal, so the phrase simply denotes a crab with a calico (spotted/patterned) shell. This follows ordinary adjective + noun composition and is immediately derivable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents, so it is transparent.
Etymology
The noun calico crab is named after calico cloth because the crab's shell has many small, colorful spots that look like the fabric. That's why calico crab means a 'brightly spotted' crab you might find on sandy beaches.