noun
hermit
a small crab that lives in another animal's empty shell
The hermit crab carries an empty snail shell on its back.
Etymology
The crab’s name likens its life inside a borrowed shell to a hermit’s retreat. The comparison concerns its sheltered dwelling rather than a human religious practice.
More examples
- As it grows, a hermit crab needs a larger shell.
- We spot two hermit crabs in a shallow tide pool.
- The tiny hermit pulls its legs inside its borrowed shell.
Forms
hermit · hermits
Similar words
- hermit crab
- The usual full name for the same shell-dwelling animal.