Plover \Plov"er\, n. [OF. plovier, F. pluvier, prop., the rain
bird, fr. LL. (assumed) pluviarius, fr. L. pluvia rain, from
pluere to rain; akin to E. float, G. fliessen to flow. See
Float.]
1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds
belonging to the family Charadrid[ae], and especially
those belonging to the subfamily Charadrins[ae]. They
are prized as game birds.
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2. (Zool.) Any grallatorial bird allied to, or resembling,
the true plovers, as the crab plover (Dromas ardeola);
the American upland, plover (Bartramia longicauda); and
other species of sandpipers.
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Note: Among the more important species are the blackbellied
plover or blackbreasted plover (Charadrius
squatarola) of America and Europe; -- called also
gray plover, bull-head plover, Swiss plover, sea
plover, and oxeye; the golden plover (see under
Golden); the ring plover or ringed plover
(Aegialitis hiaticula). See Ringneck. The piping
plover (Aegialitis meloda); Wilson's plover
(Aegialitis Wilsonia); the mountain plover
(Aegialitis montana); and the semipalmated plover
(Aegialitis semipalmata), are all small American
species.
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Bastard plover (Zool.), the lapwing.
Long-legged plover, or yellow-legged plover. See
Tattler.
Plover's page, the dunlin. [Prov. Eng.]
Rock plover, or Stone plover, the black-bellied plover.
[Prov. Eng.]
Whistling plover.
(a) The golden plover.
(b) The black-bellied plover.
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Crab \Crab\ (kr[a^]b), n. [AS. crabba; akin to D. krab, G.
krabbe, krebs, Icel. krabbi, Sw. krabba, Dan. krabbe, and
perh. to E. cramp. Cf. Crawfish.]
1. (Zool.) One of the brachyuran Crustacea. They are mostly
marine, and usually have a broad, short body, covered with
a strong shell or carapace. The abdomen is small and
curled up beneath the body.
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Note: The name is applied to all the Brachyura, and to
certain Anomura, as the hermit crabs. Formerly, it was
sometimes applied to Crustacea in general. Many species
are edible, the blue crab of the Atlantic coast being
one of the most esteemed. The large European edible
crab is Cancer padurus. Soft-shelled crabs are blue
crabs that have recently cast their shells. See
Cancer; also, Box crab, Fiddler crab, Hermit
crab, Spider crab, etc., under Box, Fiddler.
etc.
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2. The zodiacal constellation Cancer.
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3. [See Crab, a.] (Bot.) A crab apple; -- so named from its
harsh taste.
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When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl. --Shak.
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4. A cudgel made of the wood of the crab tree; a crabstick.
[Obs.] --Garrick.
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5. (Mech.)
(a) A movable winch or windlass with powerful gearing,
used with derricks, etc.
(b) A form of windlass, or geared capstan, for hauling
ships into dock, etc.
(c) A machine used in ropewalks to stretch the yarn.
(d) A claw for anchoring a portable machine.
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Calling crab. (Zool.) See Fiddler., n., 2.
Crab apple, a small, sour apple, of several kinds; also,
the tree which bears it; as, the European crab apple
(Pyrus Malus var. sylvestris); the Siberian crab apple
(Pyrus baccata); and the American (Pyrus coronaria).
Crab grass. (Bot.)
(a) A grass (Digitaria sanguinalis syn. Panicum
sanguinalis); -- called also finger grass.
(b) A grass of the genus Eleusine (Eleusine Indica);
-- called also dog's-tail grass, wire grass, etc.
Crab louse (Zool.), a species of louse (Phthirius pubis),
sometimes infesting the human body.
Crab plover (Zool.), an Asiatic plover (Dromas ardeola).
Crab's eyes, or Crab's stones, masses of calcareous
matter found, at certain seasons of the year, on either
side of the stomach of the European crawfishes, and
formerly used in medicine for absorbent and antacid
purposes; the gastroliths.
Crab spider (Zool.), one of a group of spiders
(Laterigrad[ae]); -- called because they can run
backwards or sideways like a crab.
Crab tree, the tree that bears crab applies.
Crab wood, a light cabinet wood obtained in Guiana, which
takes a high polish. --McElrath.
To catch a crab (Naut.), a phrase used of a rower:
(a) when he fails to raise his oar clear of the water;
(b) when he misses the water altogether in making a
stroke.
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