Portunidae

plural noun

Por·​tu·​ni·​dae

: a family of crabs (superfamily Brachyrhyncha) consisting of the swimming crabs and having a subquadrate carapace and the last pair of legs usually with the terminal joint flattened like a paddle

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Portunus, type genus + -idae

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!