Hermitcrabbing

(verb) The act of becoming so unhealthily involved with one's significant other as to completely withdraw from the world The person crawls up inside of their boyfriend or girlfriend's life much like the titular vermin, using only their large right claw as a doorway/camoflage preventing others from identifying he/she. The person only emerges every once in a while to nab a piece of
food (rejoin society briefly), and then scurries back into his/her hidey hole. The culprit will continue to do
this until the signficant other is no longer hospitable or he/she outgrows them, then he/she will have to move on to another person, or find a tin can or
other such shelter.

"That guy has been hermitcrabbing for like three months now. Is he even alive?"

by Cathoga November 10, 2009

Genderfluid Hermitcrab

Someone who sounds like an opposite gender and you don't know about it

Me: is that a genderfluid hermitcrab?

Him: yes

by Got jimmies June 25, 2016

Hermitcrabing

(verb) /ˈhər-mət-krab-iŋ/
The act of immediately taking over something that someone else has just vacated — like a gym machine, seat, parking spot, or any resource — the moment it’s free.
Inspired by the behavior of hermit crabs, which move into empty shells left behind by others.
Related Emojis:
• 🦀👀 = watching and waiting
• 🦀💨 = swooping in fast
• 🦀🪑 = stealing a seat
• 🦀♻️ = reusing what someone else just left behind

1. “That guy just left the squat rack — I’m hermitcrabing it before someone else does.”
2. “I saw you hermitcrab my chair when I got up for five seconds.”
3. “I’ve been crab-watching this treadmill for ten minutes. 🦀👀”

by KatKryptic July 30, 2025