A dated American slang term for a brothel, specifically one of the lower-end variety where sex workers rented individual small rooms or 'cribs' by the hour or night. The word evokes the cramped, utilitarian nature of such establishments at the turn of the 20th century and appears frequently in historical accounts of red-light districts in cities like New Orleans, San Francisco, and Chicago. It's largely a historical term now, more likely to appear in period fiction than modern conversation.
The investigative reporter described the cribhouse as a grim row of locked doors on a street the city preferred to ignore.
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(US, dated) A brothel.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.