crab
crab — 名詞
1. An animal that lives in the sea or near the coast, with a hard round shell, ten
螃蟹
有硬殼、十隻腳的海生動物
An animal that lives in the sea or near the coast, with a hard round shell, ten legs, and two claws that it uses to catch food and fight. The meat of this animal is also eaten as food.
On weekends, Ishaan hunts for crabs in the rock pools near his seaside home.
每到週末，Ishaan 都會到住家附近的海邊岩池尋找螃蟹。
countable: animal; collocation: hunt for crabs
The restaurant served fresh crab with a dipping sauce made from ginger and vinegar.
那家餐廳供應新鮮的螃蟹，搭配薑醋蘸醬。
uncountable: meat as food
Kenji watched a crab on the beach use its front claw to crack open a snail shell before eating it.
Kenji 在沙灘上看著一隻螃蟹用前螯夾碎蝸牛殼，然後把肉吃掉。
A large crab crawled sideways across the sand and then hid in a hole.
一隻大螃蟹橫越沙灘，爬進沙中的洞穴裡消失了。
Felix ordered crab noodles at the night market and loved the sweet meat.
Felix 在夜市點了蟹肉麵，很喜歡蟹肉的甜味。
- crustacean
a broader scientific category that includes crabs, lobsters, and shrimp; not used in everyday speech
- shellfish
a broader term covering all sea animals with a shell; less specific than crab
文法句型
crab (countable) — an animal
crab (uncountable) — meat as food
用法筆記
When referring to the animal, crab is countable (one crab, two crabs). When referring to the meat, it is uncountable (some crab, a lot of crab).
常見錯誤
2. A medical condition in which small parasitic insects called pubic lice live in a
陰蝨
寄生於生殖器周圍毛髮的小蟲
A medical condition in which small parasitic insects called pubic lice live in a person's pubic hair and cause itching.
The nurse told Jessica that crabs can be treated with medicated cream from the pharmacy.
護理師告訴 Jessica，陰蝨可以用藥房買的藥膏治療。
collocation: treated with [product]
Obi felt embarrassed when the doctor told him the itching was caused by crabs.
Obi 聽到醫生說搔癢是陰蝨引起的，覺得很尷尬。
always plural: the crabs / caused by crabs
Salma felt relieved when the pharmacist said the crabs would clear up within a week.
Salma 聽到藥劑師說陰蝨一週內就會痊癒，鬆了一口氣。
The health clinic gave out leaflets to college students, warning them about the risk of getting crabs from shared bedding.
健康診所發給大學生宣傳單，提醒他們共用寢具可能感染陰蝨的風險。
- pubic lice
the formal medical term
- lice
a broader term; crabs are a specific type of lice
文法句型
have crabs
get crabs
用法筆記
Always used in the plural form in this sense, even when referring to a single case. Often preceded by 'have,' 'get,' or 'contract.'
常見錯誤
3. A position in yoga or fitness training where a person sits on the floor, places
蟹式
瑜伽中將身體撐起的姿勢
A position in yoga or fitness training where a person sits on the floor, places the hands and feet flat, lifts the hips and stomach upward, and balances on the hands and feet with the face and chest facing the ceiling.
Aylin held the crab pose for nearly a minute, strengthening her arms and her back.
Aylin 維持蟹式將近一分鐘，鍛鍊了手臂和背部。
collocation: hold the crab pose
The yoga instructor demonstrated the crab pose while the class followed along on their mats.
瑜伽老師示範蟹式，全班同學跟著在墊子上做。
Léa found the crab pose difficult because her wrists were not strong enough yet.
Léa 覺得蟹式很難，因為她的手腕還不夠有力。
Antonia practised the crab pose daily until she could hold it for a full minute.
Antonia 每天練習蟹式，直到能將身體撐起整整一分鐘。
- reverse tabletop
the common English name for this position in fitness training
文法句型
the crab pose
hold the crab pose
用法筆記
Usually used with the definite article: 'the crab pose' or 'the crab position.' The pose is also called 'crab pose' in yoga and 'reverse tabletop' in general fitness.
常見錯誤
4. The star sign that is pictured as a crab, also called Cancer. In Western astrolo
巨蟹座
黃道十二宮的第四個星座
The star sign that is pictured as a crab, also called Cancer. In Western astrology, this sign covers people whose birthdays fall between late June and late July.
Sivan reads her horoscope every morning and believes that crabs are especially lucky this month.
Sivan 每天早上看星座運勢，她相信巨蟹座這個月運氣特別好。
collocation: be a crab / crabs are [trait]
At the party, friends teased Joshua for being so protective, like a true crab.
派對上，朋友們取笑 Joshua 保護慾太強，果然是個道地的巨蟹座。
collocation: like a true crab (zodiac personality)
Alessia does not follow astrology, but her mother checks the crab horoscope every single day.
Alessia 不迷信星座，但她媽媽每天都會查巨蟹座的運勢。
Today's newspaper horoscope says crabs like Nora will have a great week for making new friends at work.
今天的星座專欄說巨蟹座像 Nora 這週在職場結交新朋友的運勢很好。
- Cancer
the formal Latin name for this zodiac sign, used in horoscopes and astrology
文法句型
be a crab
the Crab (as zodiac sign)
用法筆記
Often capitalized when referring to the zodiac sign. Also called Cancer, which is the formal astrological name. The sign covers approximately June 22 to July 22.
常見錯誤
crab — 動詞
1. To try to catch crabs from the sea or shore, usually for food or as a leisure ac
捕蟹
以休閒或食用為目的捕捉螃蟹
To try to catch crabs from the sea or shore, usually for food or as a leisure activity.
Minh goes crabbing with her father every summer at the pier near their holiday house.
Minh 每年夏天都和父親去度假屋附近的碼頭捕蟹。
pattern: go crabbing
You need a strong net and some bait if you want to go crabbing here.
想在這裡捕蟹，你需要一張結實的網和一些誘餌。
The family spent the whole afternoon crabbing off the wooden dock by the river mouth.
全家人在河口附近的木棧橋上待了一整個下午捕蟹。
The local children spent the morning crabbing from the old jetty, using nets and bits of fish for bait.
當地小孩一整個早上都在舊碼頭上捕蟹，用網子和碎魚肉當誘餌。
- fish for crabs
a more explicit equivalent; 'crab' as a verb already implies fishing
文法句型
go crabbing
spend [time] crabbing
用法筆記
Most commonly used in the -ing form: 'go crabbing.' The simple form ('I crab') is rarely used; instead, say 'I go crabbing' or 'I caught crabs.'
常見錯誤
2. To move or slide from side to side rather than straight forward, like a crab whe
橫行
像螃蟹一樣側向移動
To move or slide from side to side rather than straight forward, like a crab when it walks.
To avoid the roadworks, the van crabbed through the narrow alley behind the bakery.
為了避開施工路段，廂型車橫著穿過麵包店後面的窄巷。
pattern: crab + through [narrow space]
A startled cat crabbed sideways when it saw the large dog running toward it.
一隻嚇到的貓看到大狗朝牠跑來，便橫著往旁邊跳開。
The current pushed the swimmer off course, so he crabbed at an angle toward shore.
水流把泳者沖離航道，於是他斜著游向岸邊。
The delivery truck crabbed sideways through the narrow gate before backing into the warehouse.
送貨車橫著穿過狹窄的大門，再倒車開進倉庫。
- sidle
similar meaning but usually describes a person moving sideways in a cautious or nervous way
- edge sideways
more common in everyday speech for cautious sideways movement
文法句型
crab + adverb/preposition (sideways, across, through)
用法筆記
Describes a sideways or diagonal motion, not normal forward movement. Often used for vehicles or animals moving cautiously or under difficult conditions.
常見錯誤
3. To turn a plane's nose slightly toward the oncoming side wind, keeping the aircr
側飛
將機頭轉向側風以維持航線
To turn a plane's nose slightly toward the oncoming side wind, keeping the aircraft on its intended path above the ground.
Brian watched the pilot crab the small plane left during the bumpy landing.
Brian 看著飛行員在顛簸的降落過程中將小飛機向左側飛。
pattern: crab + aircraft + direction
During the bumpy crosswind landing, Captain Tariq showed the co-pilot how to crab the plane toward the runway centerline.
在顛簸的側風降落過程中，Tariq 機長向副駕駛示範如何將飛機側飛對準跑道中心線。
concrete scene: named pilot in crosswind landing scenario
The captain decided to crab the airliner gently into the wind during the final approach.
機長在最後進場時決定將客機輕輕轉向風中進行側飛修正。
Without crabbing, the small plane would have drifted far left of the runway centre.
如果不進行側飛修正，小飛機早就偏離跑道中心線很远了。
- fly a crabbed approach
the full aviation term for this technique
文法句型
crab + aircraft + direction phrase
用法筆記
A technical aviation term. Not used in everyday conversation. Refers to a specific flying technique where the aircraft's nose points into the wind while the path over the ground is straight.
常見錯誤
4. To complain in an annoyed or bitter way, especially about things that are not ve
抱怨
對小事抱怨不休
To complain in an annoyed or bitter way, especially about things that are not very important.
Lisa spent the whole car journey crabbing about the slow traffic and the hot weather.
Lisa 整趟車程都在抱怨交通太慢、天氣太熱。
pattern: crab about [something]
Justin's grandfather is always crabbing about how young people behave these days.
Justin 的祖父總是在抱怨現在的年輕人舉止如何糟糕。
Customers at the back of the queue began crabbing about the long wait.
排在隊伍後面的客人開始抱怨等待時間太長。
Antonia's uncle crabbed about the food prices before ordering anything from the menu.
Antonia 的叔叔在點餐之前就先抱怨菜單上的價格太貴。
- praise
to express approval or admiration
文法句型
crab about [something]
用法筆記
Informal and slightly old-fashioned. Implies repeated, irritable complaining about everyday annoyances rather than a serious grievance.