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crab spider

American  

noun

  1. any crab-shaped spider of the family Thomisidae, characterized by its sideways manner of moving.

Etymology

Origin of crab spider

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Their twin lemon hues aren’t a coincidence—the flower crab spider is skilled at camouflage, blending into its surroundings to stealthily snatch prey.

From National Geographic • Jan. 22, 2024

Sure enough, he finds the culprit: A white crab spider had snagged the butterfly.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2022

For instance, a giant crab spider — roughly the size of a human head — is far more common in tropical Asian homes than we expected.

From New York Times • Oct. 27, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.