‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. brachy`s short + o'yra` tail. ] (Zool.) A group of decapod Crustacea, including the common crabs, characterized by a small and short abdomen, which is bent up beneath the large cephalo-thorax. [ Also spelt Brachyoura. ] See Crab, and Illustration in Appendix. [ 1913 Webster ]