Any of various plants with crab-like or sprawling growth patterns, particularly seaweeds found in coastal areas.
From 'crab' plus 'weed' (from Old English 'wēod'). Plant naming often references animal resemblance—'crowfoot,' 'lambstail,' 'dogwood.'
Many seaweeds are named after crabs because they have sideways, spreading fronds—the same word pattern in English reveals how medieval people categorized nature by resemblance rather than biology.
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