hermit crab

her·mit crab

H h

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [hur-mit krab]
- /ˈhɜr mɪt kræb/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [hur-mit krab]
- /ˈhɜr mɪt kræb/

Definitions of hermit crab words

noun hermit crab any of numerous crabs, especially of the genera Pagurus and Eupagurus, that protect their soft uncovered abdomen by occupying the castoff shell of a univalve mollusk. 1
noun hermit crab crustacean that uses another's shell 1
noun hermit crab any small soft-bodied decapod crustacean of the genus Pagurus and related genera, living in and carrying about the empty shells of whelks or similar molluscs 0
noun hermit crab any of various crabs (esp. family Paguridae) that have asymmetrical, soft abdomens and live in the empty shells of certain mollusks, as snails 0
noun hermit crab A type of crab from the superfamily Paguroidea, which salvages empty seashells or other portable objects to permanently shelter and protect their soft abdomens. 0

See all 5 definitions of hermit crab

Information block about the term

Origin of hermit crab

First appearance:

before 1725

One of the 49% newest English words

First recorded in 1725-35

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Hermit crab

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Hermit crab

hermit crab popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 40% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 50% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

hermit crab usage trend in Literature

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