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

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

Many of us give pet bowls a quick rinse, then refill them with water or pour another cup of kibble right on top. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2025

All kinds of urban animals would wander over, chiefly because Alix set out bowls of kibble and water on the front stoop for her big black tomcat. —Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2025

Sparrow isn't the first feline to outsmart an automatic feeder, like the cat who managed to access her kibble between mealtimes by pressing a button on the feeder. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 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