cribbage

noun

crib·​bage ˈkri-bij 

: a card game for two players in which each player tries to form various counting combinations of cards

Did you know?

Cribbage is a card game, usually for two players, in which each player tries to form various counting combinations of cards. Each player receives six cards, and the score is kept by moving pegs on a narrow rectangular board. (There is also a five-card variant, as well as four-hand and three-hand variants.) Cribbage was invented by the 17th-century English poet and courtier John Suckling. The rules of play, though somewhat involved, are simple enough to make cribbage a popular pastime, particularly in Britain and the United States. The game usually ends at 121 (twice around the board plus one).

Examples of cribbage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The cribbage group meets from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and the euchre group meets at 1 p.m. Wednesdays. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025

Tom had a great group of friends that shared his love of cribbage, poker, and other card games. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025

James and Helen are hanging out on the sofa, Mrs. Hall is about to go out on her rounds, and Siegfried and Richard are playing cribbage and having a very fun argument about it. —Alice Burton, Vulture, 2 Feb. 2025

The board has two parallel sets of 29 holes, and players use 10 small sticks with either jackal or dog heads, similar to the board and pegs of cribbage. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 16 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

crib entry 1

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cribbage

noun

crib·​bage ˈkrib-ij 

: a card game in which each player tries to form various counting combinations of cards