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 bed frame with a mattress area that is enclosed by high 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

One year later, the same officer accidentally fired his service weapon into a baby’s crib during a probation search but avoided any discipline, the Ding lawsuit said. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026

He's found them in his son's crib. —Quil Lawrence, NPR, 28 May 2026

Verb

Although his personal favorite interpretation is Craig’s, the actor wanted to focus on the philosophical pillars of the character, rather than cribbing from anyone else’s work. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026

And there’s something increasingly rare (yes, even more rare than Alfred Molina voicing a huge sea creature): a book-to-film adaptation that actually adapts the material, and does not just crib blindly from the original. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 May 2026

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

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing crib

• crib biting
• crib death
• crib sheet

Rhymes for crib

• bib
• bibb
• gib
• glib
• jib
• lib
• mib
• nib
• rib
• sib
• squib
• imatinib

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