Meanings
nouncrab canon (plural crab canons)
plural crab canons
- entertainmentA contrapuntal composition in which one melody is superimposed on the same melody in reverse
Origin
From the mistaken medieval notion that crabs move backwards.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Italian canone cancrizzante
- canone cancrizzantecrab canon
Cite this entry
APA
crab canon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crab%20canon
MLA
“crab canon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crab%20canon. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crab canon,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crab%20canon.
Source: crab canon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.