noun
fiddler
A small burrowing crab whose males have one greatly enlarged claw.
A male fiddler waves its oversized claw beside a sandy burrow.
Etymology
The crab is named by comparison with a person playing a fiddle. Its conspicuously enlarged claw and the movements around it suggested the fiddler’s characteristic activity.
More examples
- Several fiddlers retreat into their burrows as we approach.
- This fiddler scoops tiny bits of food from the mud.
- Female fiddlers have two small claws of roughly equal size.
Forms
fiddler · fiddlers
Similar words
- crab
- A broader term, not limited to burrowers with unequal claws.