Phrase guide

hermit crab

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A decapod crustacean (not a true crab) from the superfamily Paguroidea, which salvages empty seashells or other portable objects to permanently shelter and protect its soft abdomen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

small soft-bodied marine crustaceans living in cast-off shells of gastropods

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decapod crustacean, decapod

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: bígaru de pates — crustacean
  • Central Bikol: umang — crustacean
  • Bislama: nakato — crustacean
  • Bulgarian: рак пустинник (rak pustinnik) — crustacean
  • Catalan: bernat ermità — crustacean
  • Cebuano: umang — crustacean
  • Chinese Mandarin: 寄居蟹 (jìjūxiè) — crustacean
  • Chinese Mandarin: 寄生蟹 (jìshēngxiè) — crustacean
  • Czech: krab poustevníček — crustacean
  • Czech: poustevníček severský — crustacean
  • Danish: eremitkrebs — crustacean
  • Dutch: heremietkreeft — crustacean
  • Finnish: erakkorapu — crustacean
  • French: bernard-l’ermite — crustacean
  • Galician: cangrexo ermitán — crustacean
  • German: Einsiedlerkrebs — crustacean
  • Greek: πάγουρος (págouros) — crustacean
  • Hungarian: remeterák — crustacean
  • Indonesian: kelomang — crustacean
  • Ingrian: erikkokrapu — crustacean
  • Irish: faocha ghliomaigh — crustacean
  • Irish: portán sligreach — crustacean
  • Italian: paguro — crustacean
  • Italian: bernardo l’eremita — crustacean
  • Japanese: 宿借り — crustacean
  • Japanese: ヤドカリ (yadokari) — crustacean
  • Korean: 소라게 (sorage) — crustacean
  • Latin: pīnotērēs — crustacean
  • Malay: umang-umang — crustacean
  • Māori: kāunga — crustacean
  • Māori: waerau — crustacean
  • Mokilese: umwpwa — crustacean
  • Norwegian: eremittkreps — crustacean
  • Occitan: bernat-l'ermita — crustacean
  • Occitan: buòu arput — crustacean
  • Occitan: piada — crustacean
  • Polish: rak pustelnik — crustacean
  • Polish: krab pustelnik — crustacean
  • Polish: pustelnik — crustacean
  • Portuguese: bernardo-eremita — crustacean
  • Réunion Creole French: solda — crustacean
  • Russian: рак-отше́льник (rak-otšélʹnik) — crustacean
  • Scottish Gaelic: partan-tuathal — crustacean
  • Serbo-Croatian: rak samac — crustacean
  • Spanish: cangrejo ermitaño — crustacean
  • Swedish: eremitkräfta — crustacean
  • Thai: ปูเสฉวน (bpuu-sěe-chǔuan) — crustacean
  • Turkish: keşiş yengeci — crustacean
  • Ukrainian: рак-самітник (rak-samitnyk) — crustacean
  • Vietnamese: ốc mượn hồn — crustacean
  • Vietnamese: cua kí cư — crustacean
  • Vietnamese: cua ẩn sĩ — crustacean
  • Welsh: cranc meddal — crustacean
  • Welsh: cranc meudwyol — crustacean