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crib

(British) A bed for a child older than a baby.

kɹɪbDocumented since 1770sSilenthistoricalCurrent151 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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3 definitions
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6 citations · last seen May 2026

Etymology timeline

Born ~1772 · 1 year of recorded use
1772Born2026: 6 citationsToday, 2026

Seen in the wild

Definitions

UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(British) A bed for a child older than a baby.

I began to think of my horse. He, however, like an old campaigner, had taken good care of himself. I found him paying assiduous attention to the crib of Indian corn, and dexterously drawing forth and munching the ears that protruded betw…
Cluster: child
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(US) A baby’s bed with high, often slatted, often moveable sides, suitable for a child who has outgrown a cradle or bassinet.

In two minutes I was kneeling by the child’s crib, and Sandy was dispatching servants here, there, and everywhere, all over the palace. I took in the situation almost at a glance -- membranous croup!
Origin: From , cribbe, from , cryb, cribb, crybb, from , from , from , *gerbʰ-, from *ger-. Cognate with , Krääb, Krääf, , , , , . . The sense of ‘stealing, taking notes, plagiarize’ seems to have developed out of the verb. The criminal sense may derive from the 'basket' sense, circa the mid 18th century, in that a poacher could conceal poachings in such a basket (see the 1772 Samuel Foote quotation). The cheating sense probably derives from the criminal sense. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"crib" means a baby’s bed with high, often slatted, often moveable sides, suitable for a child who has outgrown a cradle or bassinet. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.

For ESL learners

"crib" is informal English meaning a baby’s bed with high, often slatted, often moveable sides, suitable for a child who has outgrown a cradle or bassinet. It is mainly used in North American English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a baby’s bed with high" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "crib" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.

Heard in the wild
  • “Back in my crib after a weekend in a big girl bed and I'm abah bwuh....”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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UK
#3·Apr 27, 2026UK

(nautical) A small sleeping berth in a packet or other small vessel.

A kitchen, a meat-house, a dairy, a crib with two stalls in the rear, one for the horse the other for the cow, were the out-buildings
Heard in the wild
  • “@ceepain.bsky.social I know this not your show but the in ya Crib!☝🏾”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “In a Manger, No Crib for a Bed: The Story of a Birth That Remade the World”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “you know ill show up at the crib.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “First test during Marathon open beta, second test Forza Horizon 6 launch day. It’s like they wanted to kill this game in the crib but couldn’t because a former Guerilla employee now oversees PlayStation studios. At least the IP has fans though, maybe they’ll show up for it.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “wonder how long was spent just sitting there admiring and kneading it before you even remembered to get up out of your crib...”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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