horseshoe crab

noun

: any of several closely related marine arthropods (order Xiphosura and class Merostomata) with a broad crescentic cephalothorax, six pairs of legs, and a spikelike tail
especially : one (Limulus polyphemus) of coastal waters from Maine to the Yucatán Peninsula

Note: The horseshoe crab is often said to have five pairs of legs since the first pair is greatly reduced in size and used mainly for feeding. All the legs of the horseshoe crab end in claws except for the last pair of legs which have leaflike expansions used mainly for pushing.

… a horseshoe crab … is a Swiss army knife of jointed limbs—for walking, swimming, grasping, shredding, and defending. Carl Zimmer
… the horseshoe crab has changed little since an ancestor was fossilized 150 million years ago … National Geographic

called also king crab

Examples of horseshoe crab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The horseshoe crab isn’t actually a crab, despite its name. Oli Turner, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 July 2024 Fishermen also capture horseshoe crabs and use them as bait for eels and conch. Benji Jones, Vox, 28 June 2024 Youngsters will love interacting with horseshoe crabs and starfish in the Tide Pool Touch Tank, petting the baby stingrays or even feeding the adult nurse sharks. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Combined, the two fisheries kill over half a million horseshoe crabs every year. Kristoffer Whitney, Fortune Well, 13 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for horseshoe crab 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'horseshoe crab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horseshoe crab was in 1797

Dictionary Entries Near horseshoe crab

Cite this Entry

“Horseshoe crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horseshoe%20crab. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

horseshoe crab

noun
: any of several closely related arthropods that have a broad crescent-shaped united head and thorax and a tail resembling a spike

More from Merriam-Webster on horseshoe crab

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