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

The treat portions were huge, dispensing a heaping handful of kibble at even the lowest setting. —Molly Higgins, Wired News, 12 May 2025

However, commenters and experts have some strong opinions on the value (and taste) of a human kibble. —Sarah Garone, Health, 7 May 2025

They’re fed a mix of kibble and meat from beef, horse, and deer daily. —Emily Mullin, Wired News, 7 Apr. 2025

Feeding kibble exclusively can contribute to long-term health problems such as obesity, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and even cancer. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 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