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Glite Dictionary
rock crab

rock crab

1 4.5
A small sea animal with a hard shell that lives on rocky shores
  • noun
  • /rɑk kræb/
  • US
translation icon : cangrejo de roca
  • We spotted a rock crab hiding among the rocks at low tide.
  • rock crab, Cancer

Examples

  • Amidst the din of breaking waves, we could hear the scurryings of rock crabs.

    Blog text (2)

  • PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Figure 49. The rock crab, Cancer irroratus. PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Figure 50. Xanthid mud crabs. Photograph by the author.

    Academic text (1996)

  • At the seafood market, she bought fresh rock crab for dinner.

  • Rock crabs thrive in tidal pools where they can find shelter from predators.

Synonyms

crab
vsrock crab
101 1.0

A sea animal with a flat shell, five pairs of legs, and front claws

refers specifically to one eastern species with a hard shell preferring rocky habitat
Cancer irroratus
vsrock crab
  • Specialized
9.9

A crab that lives on rocky coasts of eastern North America and is often caught for food

is the common name for that species rather than the scientific name

Surface Forms

rock crab singular
rock crabs plural

Morphology

rock + crab

The meaning 'a crab associated with rocky habitats' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'rock' (rocky environment) with 'crab' (the animal) in a standard noun–noun compound. This is a common, cross-linguistic compounding pattern in English, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended referent.

Etymology

The compound noun rock crab comes from the crab's home among coastal rocks: picture a small crab hiding in small pools of sea water and under stones on the shore. So the name means 'a crab found in rocky places' and helps you remember its hard shell and rocky habitat.