Illustration of hermit crab
hermit crab
noun
: any of numerous chiefly marine small decapod crustaceans (especially families Diogenidae, Paguridae, and Parapaguridae) having soft asymmetrical abdomens and occupying the empty shells of gastropods
Examples of hermit crab in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Changes to the film included getting rid of a scene in which Elio shows off a pink tank top made out of beach litter to a hermit crab, as well as removing picture frames from Elio’s bedroom wall that displayed a male crush.
—
Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
The analysis revealed that the bolder hermit crabs have more sensilla located on the claw’s surface.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 July 2025
The nonprofit explains that hermit crabs are divided into two main categories—land and aquatic.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Land hermit crabs spend most of their lives on land and only rarely enter the water.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hermit crab
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.
Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
The analysis revealed that the bolder hermit crabs have more sensilla located on the claw’s surface.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 July 2025
The nonprofit explains that hermit crabs are divided into two main categories—land and aquatic.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Land hermit crabs spend most of their lives on land and only rarely enter the water.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hermit crab
Cite this Entry
“Hermit crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hermit%20crab. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share