cubby

noun

cub·​by ˈkə-bē How to pronounce cubby (audio)
plural cubbies
US
: a small, snug place (as for hiding or storage) : cubbyhole
Each boy on coming in gives his name, pays six cents, gets a key, and puts away his hat, books, and jacket (if he has 'em) in his own cubby for the night.Madeleine B. Stern
The room was little more than a cubby choked with wires, splitters, routers, and electronic boxes. You would have said there was no room for a man.Stephen King

Examples of cubby in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The front seating area is dominated by the high central console, which incorporates a couple of decently sized cubbies. James Morris, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 The collection has one single divider, used for splitting a cubby in half. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Feb. 2024 Before the arrival of the internet, submission letters clogged my mail cubby. Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 26 Feb. 2024 The compact case is the ideal travel companion since it’s equipped with storage for different bling, including ring cushions, earring holes, and cubbies for bracelets and chunkier pieces. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024 Storage bins and cubbies are on the small side, however, but the trunk offers 12 cubic feet, which is about average for the class. Andrew Wendler, Car and Driver, 12 July 2023 Picking up food from a cubby is nothing new, nor is cooking with robots, but past attempts at automating restaurants and removing human interaction have had mixed success. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 14 Feb. 2024 Step 6: Attach the Angle Cleats Measure 14 inches below the edge of the cubbies and mark. Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024 There's one of those on either side, plus a pop-up storage cubby in the middle with a trio of USB-C ports. Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cubby.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

obsolete English cub pen, from Dutch kub fish basket; akin to Old English cofa den

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cubby was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near cubby

Cite this Entry

“Cubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cubby. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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