Meanings
nounpurse crab (plural purse crabs)
plural purse crabs
- A crab of species Birgus latro, of Indo-Pacific islands.
Synonyms: coconut crab, robber crab, palm thief, tree crab
- Any member of the family (Leucosiidae) of crabs characterized by an adult female having the abdomen formed into a hemispherical cup that snaps shut against the sternum to form a brood chamber for the eggs.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA crab of species Birgus latro, of Indo-Pacific islands.
Similar
Cite this entry
APA
purse crab. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/purse%20crab
MLA
“purse crab.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/purse%20crab. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “purse crab,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/purse%20crab.
Source: purse crab on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.