[f. CRAB sb.2] A young crab-tree or wild apple-tree used as a stock to graft upon; fig. a person or thing of wild or unreclaimed nature.

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a. 1625.  Fletcher, Nt.-Walker, I. i. Graft me a dainty medlar on his crabstock.

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1672.  Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 47. There may be such a Crab-stock as cannot by all ingrafting be corrected.

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1708.  J. Philips, Cyder, I. 18. The Crabstock’s close-wrought grain.

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1806–7.  J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life (1826), xx. 281. You know me well enough by this time, young Crab-stock, to make a pretty good guess.

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