lady crab
- noun
- /ˈleɪdi kræb/
- US
:
cangrejo lady
- The lady crab is easily identified by the purple spots on its shell.
Examples
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Children often collect lady crabs in buckets while exploring tide pools along the beach.
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Fishermen sometimes use lady crabs as bait for larger fish.
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Look at that beautiful lady crab over there!
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I saw a lady crab on the beach.
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Children often collect lady crabs in buckets while exploring tide pools along the beach.
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The lady crab is easily identified by the purple spots on its shell.
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Fishermen sometimes use lady crabs as bait for larger fish.
Synonyms
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 spots on its shell found on sandy beaches
How Small
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward noun–noun compound where 'lady' functions as a modifier of 'crab', so a learner who knows both words will readily infer it denotes a kind or variety of crab (and likely expect a delicate or distinctive appearance). The semantic relation is compositional and follows normal English naming patterns for species, so the meaning is immediately derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The name lady crab may come from the bright round spots on its shell that reminded people of a lady's pretty dress or jewelry. That's why the name helps you picture a small, spotted crab found on sandy beaches.