Crab vs. Crap — What's the Difference?

A decapod crustacean of the infraorder Brachyura, having a very short projecting tail.

Used to describe something of poor quality.

Crabs are known for their distinctive walking style, moving sideways.

An exclamation of frustration or disappointment.

Many species of crabs are caught and sold as seafood.

Misleading or nonsensical talk or ideas.

Crabs play a crucial ecological role in marine environments.

In gambling, a losing throw in the game of craps.

Crabs are often kept as pets in marine aquariums.

Vulgar slang for feces.

Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) (Greek: βραχύς, romanized: brachys = short, οὐρά / οura = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the world's oceans, in fresh water, and on land, are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton, and have a single pair of pincers.

Something of extremely poor quality.

Any of various chiefly marine decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, having a hard carapace that covers a broad flattened cephalothorax with a small abdomen tucked beneath it, and an anterior pair of legs that are large and pincerlike.

Excrement.

Any of various similar decapod crustaceans, such as a hermit crab or a king crab.

A losing throw of 2, 3, or 12 in craps.

Crabmeat.

Defecate.

A crab louse.

Talk at length in a foolish or boring way.

Crabs(Slang) Infestation by crab lice.

Make a losing throw at craps

The maneuvering of an aircraft partially into a crosswind to compensate for drift.

Extremely poor in quality.

A machine for handling or hoisting heavy weights.

Excrement.

A crabapple tree or its fruit.

An act of defecating.

A quarrelsome, ill-tempered person.

Foolish, deceitful, or boastful language.

See Cancer.

Cheap or shoddy material.

To hunt or catch crabs.

Miscellaneous or disorganized items; clutter.

To scurry sideways in the manner of a crab.

Insolent talk or behavior.

To drift diagonally or sideways, especially when under tow.

Used for intensive effect in idioms such as beat the crap out of (someone) for beat (someone) very badly.

To direct an aircraft into a crosswind.

See craps.

To direct (an aircraft) partly into a crosswind to eliminate drift.

A losing first throw in the game of craps.

To cause to move or scurry sideways.

To defecate.

To find fault; criticize someone or something.

To make a losing throw in the game of craps. Usually used with out.

(Informal) To interfere with and ruin; spoil.

Used to express anger or displeasure.

(Informal) To find fault with; complain about.

(obsolete) The husk of grain; chaff.

To make ill-tempered or sullen.

Something worthless or of poor quality; junk.

A crustacean of the infraorder Brachyura, having five pairs of legs, the foremost of which are in the form of claws, and a carapace.

Nonsense; something untrue.

(uncountable) The meat of this crustacean, served as food; crabmeat.

Faeces/feces.

A bad-tempered person.

An act of defecation.

An infestation of pubic lice (Pthirus pubis).

A losing throw of 2, 3, or 12 in craps.

The angle by which an aircraft's nose is pointed upwind of its groundtrack to compensate for crosswinds during an approach to landing; its crab angle.

To defecate.

The state of an aircraft's nose being pointed upwind of its groundtrack to compensate for crosswinds during an approach to landing.

To defecate in or on (clothing etc.).

(slang) A playing card with the rank of three.

To bullshit. Also Australia?

(rowing) A position in rowing where the oar is pushed under the rigger by the force of the water.

Of poor quality.

A defect in an outwardly normal object that may render it inconvenient and troublesome to use.

(slang) Expression of worry, fear, shock, surprise, disgust, annoyance, or dismay.

(dated) An unsold book that is returned to the publisher.

In the game of craps, a first throw of the dice in which the total is two, three, or twelve, in which case the caster loses. Also called craps.

The crab apple or wild apple.

Same as excrement and feces.

The tree bearing crab apples, which has a dogbane-like bitter bark with medical use.

Nonsense; balderdash; bullshit; - also used as an expletive.

A cudgel made of the wood of the crab tree; a crabstick.

To defecate. Same as take a crap.

A movable winch or windlass with powerful gearing, used with derricks, etc.

Obscene terms for feces

A form of windlass, or geared capstan, for hauling ships into dock, etc.

Obscene words for unacceptable behavior;

A machine used in ropewalks to stretch the yarn.

Have a bowel movement;

A claw for anchoring a portable machine.

The tree species Carapa guianensis, native to South America.

(informal) carabiner

(intransitive) To fish for crabs.

To ruin.

(intransitive) To complain.

(transitive) To complain about.

(intransitive) To drift or move sideways or to leeward by analogy with the movement of a crab.

To move in a manner that involves keeping low and clinging to surfaces.

To navigate (an aircraft, e.g. a glider) sideways against an air current in order to maintain a straight-line course.

To move (a camera) sideways.

, to fly slightly off the straight-line course towards an enemy aircraft, as the machine guns on early aircraft did not allow firing through the propeller disk.

(rare) To back out of something.

(obsolete) To irritate, make surly or sour

To be ill-tempered; to complain or find fault.

(British dialect) To cudgel or beat, as with a crabstick

One of the brachyuran Crustacea. They are mostly marine, and usually have a broad, short body, covered with a strong shell or carapace. The abdomen is small and curled up beneath the body.

The zodiacal constellation Cancer.

A crab apple; - so named from its harsh taste.

A cudgel made of the wood of the crab tree; a crabstick.

A movable winch or windlass with powerful gearing, used with derricks, etc.

To make sour or morose; to embitter.

To beat with a crabstick.

To drift sidewise or to leeward, as a vessel.

Sour; rough; austere.

Decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers

A quarrelsome grouch

(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Cancer

The fourth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about June 21 to July 22

The edible flesh of any of various crabs

Infests the pubic region of the human body

A stroke of the oar that either misses the water or digs too deeply;

Direct (an aircraft) into a crosswind

Scurry sideways like a crab

Fish for crab

Complain;

A crab is a marine crustacean known for its hard shell and sideward walk, appreciated both for its ecological role and as a delicacy.

Not all crab species are edible or considered palatable; some may be toxic or have very little meat, making them undesirable for consumption.

Crap is a vulgar slang term that refers to something of poor quality, nonsense, or feces.

Crabs typically move sideways due to the structure of their legs, which is efficient for navigating their often rocky and cluttered habitats.

While considered vulgar, the offensiveness of "crap" can depend on the social context and audience. It's less offensive than some other profanities but still informal.

Craps is a popular dice game where players bet on the outcome of the roll or series of rolls of a pair of dice.

Crab can be cooked in several ways, including boiling, steaming, or baking, often seasoned with spices, herbs, and butter.

There is ongoing debate and research into whether crabs feel pain, with some studies suggesting they might respond to harmful stimuli.

Crabs show various levels of problem-solving skills and behaviors that could be considered signs of intelligence, such as finding food and navigating their environment.

While usually negative, "crap" can sometimes be used in a more lighthearted or joking manner, though it always implies poor quality or falsehood.

Crabs serve important ecological roles as both predators and scavengers, helping maintain the health of their ecosystems.

Using the word "crap" in formal settings or around those who find it offensive can lead to social disapproval or disciplinary actions in professional environments.

People use the term crap to express dissatisfaction with the quality or integrity of an object, situation, or piece of work.

Crabs and lobsters are both crustaceans, sharing a common ancestry, but they belong to different infraorders within the class Malacostraca.

Crabs walk sideways due to the orientation of their legs, which allows them to quickly navigate the complex terrains of their habitats.