crab
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
To ruin.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
I thought at the time that that little speech meant a savin' of eight dollars,[…] But the Missus crabbed it a few minutes after her and Bess come in the room.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “crab” mean?
To ruin.
Is “crab” formal or informal?
crab is generally slang.