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
One of Rocha’s favorite discoveries was a hermit crab that uses clam-like shells as its home.
—
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
The hermit crab benefits from this partnership with the anemone by achieving a larger body size than its relatives.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Nov. 2025
In each one, snails and hermit crabs help keep it free of algae.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
In 2025, they were joined in Fiji by 4-year-old daughter Charlie and almost 2-year-old son Bud, who love creating drawings in mom’s office, hunting for hermit crabs on the beach and feeding fish from the pier.
—Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 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.
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
The hermit crab benefits from this partnership with the anemone by achieving a larger body size than its relatives.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Nov. 2025
In each one, snails and hermit crabs help keep it free of algae.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
In 2025, they were joined in Fiji by 4-year-old daughter Charlie and almost 2-year-old son Bud, who love creating drawings in mom’s office, hunting for hermit crabs on the beach and feeding fish from the pier.
—Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 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 2 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share