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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Apple \Ap"ple\ ([a^]p"p'l), n. [OE. appel, eppel, AS. [ae]ppel,
[ae]pl; akin to Fries. & D. appel, OHG, aphul, aphol, G.
apfel, Icel. epli, Sw. [aum]ple, Dan. [ae]ble, Gael. ubhall,
W. afal, Arm. aval, Lith. ob[*u]lys, Russ. iabloko; of
unknown origin.]
1. The fleshy pome or fruit of a rosaceous tree (Pyrus
malus) cultivated in numberless varieties in the
temperate zones.
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Note: The European crab apple is supposed to be the original
kind, from which all others have sprung.
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2. (bot.) Any tree genus Pyrus which has the stalk sunken
into the base of the fruit; an apple tree.
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3. Any fruit or other vegetable production resembling, or
supposed to resemble, the apple; as, apple of love, or
love apple (a tomato), balsam apple, egg apple, oak apple.
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4. Anything round like an apple; as, an apple of gold.
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Note: Apple is used either adjectively or in combination; as,
apple paper or apple-paper, apple-shaped, apple
blossom, apple dumpling, apple pudding.
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Apple blight, an aphid which injures apple trees. See
Blight, n.
Apple borer (Zool.), a coleopterous insect (Saperda
candida or Saperda bivittata), the larva of which bores
into the trunk of the apple tree and pear tree.
Apple brandy, brandy made from apples.
Apple butter, a sauce made of apples stewed down in cider.
--Bartlett.
Apple corer, an instrument for removing the cores from
apples.
Apple fly (Zool.), any dipterous insect, the larva of which
burrows in apples. Apple flies belong to the genera
Drosophila and Trypeta.
Apple midge (Zool.) a small dipterous insect (Sciara
mali), the larva of which bores in apples.
Apple of the eye, the pupil.
Apple of discord, a subject of contention and envy, so
called from the mythological golden apple, inscribed "For
the fairest," which was thrown into an assembly of the
gods by Eris, the goddess of discord. It was contended for
by Juno, Minerva, and Venus, and was adjudged to the
latter.
Apple of love, or Love apple, the tomato (Lycopersicum
esculentum).
Apple of Peru, a large coarse herb (Nicandra physaloides)
bearing pale blue flowers, and a bladderlike fruit
inclosing a dry berry.
Apples of Sodom, a fruit described by ancient writers as
externally of fair appearance but dissolving into smoke
and ashes when plucked; Dead Sea apples. The name is often
given to the fruit of Solanum Sodom[ae]um, a prickly
shrub with fruit not unlike a small yellow tomato.
Apple sauce, stewed apples. [U. S.]
Apple snail or Apple shell (Zool.), a fresh-water,
operculated, spiral shell of the genus Ampullaria.
Apple tart, a tart containing apples.
Apple tree, a tree which naturally bears apples. See
Apple, 2.
Apple wine, cider.
Apple worm (Zool.), the larva of a small moth (Carpocapsa
pomonella) which burrows in the interior of apples. See
Codling moth.
Dead Sea Apple.
(a) pl. Apples of Sodom. Also Fig. "To seek the Dead Sea
apples of politics." --S. B. Griffin.
(b) A kind of gallnut coming from Arabia. See Gallnut.
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