blue crab

noun

1. an edible crab, Callinectes sapidus, having a dark green body and bluish legs, found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blue crab¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

My family and most of my friends were always blue crab meat or jumbo shrimp kinds of people.

From Salon

Atlantic blue crab species reached the Mediterranean in ballast waters and through the Suez Canal.

From National Geographic

But the blue crab — a strong and fast swimmer and a voracious and aggressive eater with no natural predators here other than fishermen — has put Italy’s clam and mussel producers in crisis.

From Seattle Times

Named for their brilliant sapphire-colored claws, blue crab is one of the most iconic species in the Chesapeake Bay.

From Salon

In the Chesapeake Bay alone, some 40 species have been caught in derelict blue crab traps, from rock fish and flounder to diving ducks, Havens said.

From Washington Post