blue crab

noun

: a large bluish-green edible crab (Callinectes sapidus of the family Portunidae) of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts

Illustration of blue crab

Illustration of blue crab

Examples of blue crab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Go here for solid Chesapeake seafood, like Maryland blue crab and lobster. — Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Among the dishes is blue crab plucked from the water tableside, then served rillette-style using fat from the restaurant’s estuaries. — Jamila Robinson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 June 2026 With blue crab season underway, along with a plenitude of native fish and shrimp coming to shore each morning, restaurants fill their menus with whatever is brought to the marina. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 May 2026 Lowcountry cooking has long centered around local shrimp, oysters, blue crab, and fresh catch pulled from the Atlantic, giving the city one of the South's most distinctive seafood traditions. — Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for blue crab

Word History

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blue crab was in 1763

Rhymes for blue crab

See All Rhymes for blue crab

Browse Nearby Words

blue corn
blue crab
blue crane
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blue crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blue%20crab. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on blue crab

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blue crab

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