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Glite Dictionary
cribbage

cribbage

4 8.5
A card game for two players in which players score points by making certain card combinations
  • noun
  • /ˈkrɪbɪdʒ/
translation icon : cribbage
  • - How about a game of cribbage?
  • play cribbage
  • a cribbage game
  • cribbage board

Examples

  • They were whispering in bed after many games of cribbage, bridge, and charades.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • A piece of teak decking material drilled for cribbage pegs was part of the tradition.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • You fellas go on back to your cribbage game.

    The Green Mile (1999)

  • Ruth had watched these men play cribbage hundreds of times in her young life.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Sometimes I played cribbage with one of the volunteers in the afternoon, and then I slept again.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The men put away the cards and dismantled the cribbage board.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Opal had learned cribbage just the day before, her first evening at my parents', but already she was good at it.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • How's about a little cribbage?

    The Cobweb (1955)

  • Eventually, Ruth's father and Angus Addams commenced playing cribbage once more and grew quiet.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • I've organized a cribbage tournament this weekend for anyone who wants to join.

Synonyms

card game
vscribbage
43 1.1

A game played with playing cards, for example poker, that often needs skill or luck

is a specific two-player play with unique discard and scoring rules
crib
vscribbage
  • Jargon
5 9.0

A set of cards scored by a player in the game cribbage

is strictly the two-player play focused on dealing and scoring combinations
cards
vscribbage
5 1.0

Games you play with a set of playing cards

is one particular tightly ruled two-player variant with specific discards and scoring

Compounds

cribbage board
8.0

A board with holes and pegs used to keep score in the card game cribbage

Surface Forms

cribbage singular
cribbages plural

Morphology

cribbage = crib (opaque) = crib + age

Although the word is historically formed from 'crib' + '-age', the game name is a specialized term whose meaning is not directly predictable from the component meanings for most learners.

Etymology

Cribbage comes from crib, an old word meaning 'small bed' or 'box', and in the card game the 'crib' is the extra hand of cards set aside for scoring. So cribbage is the game that uses that special 'crib' hand, which explains the name.