kibble

1 of 2

noun

kib·​ble ˈki-bəl 

plural kibbles

1

: coarsely ground meal or grain typically used as animal feed

especially : small, dry pellets of processed food for pets (such as dogs and cats)

She refilled Moosh's water bowl and checked his supply of kibble.

—Anne Tyler

… the high costs of shipping products like 40-pound bags of kibble.

—Brad Stone

2

: a pellet of kibble

—usually plural

The treats should be tiny so that she does not get full. Cat food kibbles make a good treat because they are tiny and usually palatable to dogs.

—Katherine A. Houpt

Americans' pets are undoubtedly the best-fed animals in the world, but it costs their owners a lot to keep them in kibbles.

—Jake Chapline

kibble

2 of 2

verb

kibbled; kibbling ˈki-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

: to grind coarsely

kibbled dog biscuit

kibbled grain

Examples of kibble in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When Mike and Carol floated the Smith River, Drew fed the dogs for them, producing another pantry moment when Carol showed Drew where the kibble was stored. —Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025

Film and television have made drill sergeant parts into kibble for any actor with an affinity for shouting and strained neck muscles. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025

The kibble is small and easy for dogs of all sizes to chew. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2025

But, caring for a dog means picking up more than just kibble. —Trisha Easto, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1790, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kibble

• dibble
• dribble
• gribble
• nibble
• quibble
• scribble
• sibyl
• sybil