Baretti: A dictionary of the English and Italian languages
Granchi-o, s. m. dim. Granchi-étto, Granchi-olíno, aug. óne,
1. generic name for various kinds of shell fish;2. crab, cray-fish; 3. cancer. — di mare, a lobster. Più lunatico dei granchi, madder than a March hare. Aver il — nella scarcella, to spend or lay out unwillingly. Esser morso dal —, touched or infected with avarice. Pigliare un —, to be deceived, to make a mistake. Che ha a far la luna co'granchi! what a compari-son! Cavare il — dalla buca colle mani d'altri, to make a cat's paw of one; 4. a dunce, blockhead; 5. the cramp; 6. a carpenter's holdfast; 7. (astron. t.) cancer, the crab.
Florio: a worlde of wordes, or most copious, dictionarie in Italian and English
granchio: a crab, a creuise. Also a crampe or shrinking of the sinnewes in man or horse. Also as Gráffi. Also a crooked hooke or iron that Gunners vse. Also a kinde of waspe or hornet with hornes. Also as Sgrámfo. Pigliár ungránchio, as we say to fish faire and catch a frog, or as we say to misse the cushion. Vsed also for asilly gull or simple foole.