false crab

noun

A crab that is not a true crab (not a member of the Brachyura). A crab that is not a brachyuran. A carcinized decapod crustacean that is not a phylogenic crab.

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Meanings

nounfalse crab (plural false crabs)

plural false crabs

  1. informalevolutionbiologyA crab that is not a true crab (not a member of the Brachyura). A crab that is not a brachyuran. A carcinized decapod crustacean that is not a phylogenic crab.

Origin

false + crab. From the phylogenic reorganization of crustaceans traditionally or informally identified as crabs, into a monophyletic grouping of true crabs (the Brachyura), and the non-taxonomic polyphyletic grouping of the remainder.

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Cite this entry
APA

false crab. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/false%20crab

MLA

“false crab.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/false%20crab. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “false crab,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/false%20crab.

Source: false crab on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.