crib

1 of 2

noun

ˈkrib 

plural cribs

1

: a manger for feeding animals

2

: an enclosure especially of framework: such as

a

: a stall for a stabled animal

b

: a small child's bedstead with high enclosing usually slatted sides

c

: any of various devices resembling a crate or framework in structure

d

: a building for storage : bin

3

a

: a small narrow room or dwelling : hut, shack

b

chiefly African American English slang : home sense 1a

I just wasn't in school. I was at the crib, chilling …

—unidentified speaker, quoted in Corpus of Regional African American Language

c

: a room or shack used for sex work

4

: the cards discarded in cribbage for the dealer to use in scoring

5

a

: a small theft

b

: plagiarism

c

: a literal translation

especially : pony sense 3

d

: a summary and key to understanding a literary work

e

: something used for cheating in an examination

6

: crèche sense 1

crib

2 of 2

verb

cribbed; cribbing

transitive verb

1

: confine, cramp

2

: to provide with or put into a crib

especially : to line or support with a framework of timber

3

: pilfer, steal

especially : plagiarize

intransitive verb

1

a

: steal, plagiarize

b

: to use a crib : cheat

2

: to have the vice of cribbing

cribber noun

Examples of crib in a Sentence

Verb

She cribbed a line or two from her favorite poet.

students cribbing off each other's papers

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Expect to find swivel gliders in airy white linen, cribs and dressers accented with handwoven caning, and daybeds made from honey-toned rattan. —Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024

Founded in 2011, Baby2Baby has distributed more than 450 million essentials — including diapers, formula, clothing and cribs — to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, foster care agencies, hospitals, underserved school districts and disaster areas. —Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024

Verb

This really matters because Teeny does lose her vote on this week’s journey, which was cribbed right out of Squid Game. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024

Thus cabined, cribbed, and confined, the left can hardly be surprised that its agenda has again dropped out of sight. —Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 25 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English cribb; akin to Old High German krippa manger, and perhaps to Greek griphos reed basket

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1605, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing crib

• crib biting
• crib death
• crib sheet

Kids Definition

crib

1 of 2 noun

ˈkrib 

1

: a manger for feeding animals

2

: a small bed frame with high sides for a child

3

: a bin or building for storing grain

4

: the cards discarded in cribbage for the dealer to use in scoring

5

a

: pony sense 2

b

: something used for cheating on a test

crib

2 of 2 verb

cribbed; cribbing

1

: to copy (as an idea or piece of writing) and use as one's own : plagiarize

2

: to use a translation or notes dishonestly

cribber noun

Medical Definition

crib

noun

ˈkrib 

1

: a manger for feeding animals

2

a

: a stall for a stabled animal

b

: a small child's bedstead with high enclosing usually slatted sides