Grapsoid

/ɡræpˈsɔɪd/ adjective

Definition

Resembling or relating to crabs of the family Grapsidae; crab-like, especially referring to certain crustacean characteristics.

Etymology

From Greek 'grapsos' (crab) + '-oid' (resembling). The suffix '-oid' is productive in scientific nomenclature for describing similarity or relationship.

Kelly Says

Scientists use '-oid' endings to group organisms by appearance even when they're not closely related—a 'grapsoid' creature looks like a grapside crab but might belong to a different family entirely.

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