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crustacean

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crus⋅ta⋅cean

[kruh-stey-shuhn]
–noun
1. any chiefly aquatic arthropod of the class Crustacea, typically having the body covered with a hard shell or crust, including the lobsters, shrimps, crabs, barnacles, and wood lice.
–adjective
2. belonging or pertaining to the crustaceans.

Origin:
1825–35; < NL Crustace(a) (neut. pl.) hard-shelled ones (see crust, -acea ) + -an
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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crus·ta·cean   (krŭ-stā'shən)   
n.  Any of various predominantly aquatic arthropods of the class Crustacea, including lobsters, crabs, shrimps, and barnacles, characteristically having a segmented body, a chitinous exoskeleton, and paired, jointed limbs.
adj.  Of or belonging to the Crustacea.

[From New Latin Crūstācea, class name, neuter pl. of crūstāceus, hard-shelled, from Latin crūsta, shell; see kreus- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

crustacean [(kru-stay-shuhn)]

A class of arthropods with shells.

Note: Crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and crayfish are crustaceans.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

crustacean 
1835, from Mod.L. Crustacea, the class name (introduced by Lamarck, 1801), neut. pl. of adj. crustaceus "having a crust or shell," from L. crusta "crust, hard shell" (see crust).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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