cribbage

noun

crib·​bage ˈkri-bij How to pronounce cribbage (audio)
: a card game for two players in which each player tries to form various counting combinations of cards

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Cribbage is a card game, usually for two players, in which each player tries to form various counting combinations of cards. Each player receives six cards, and the score is kept by moving pegs on a narrow rectangular board. (There is also a five-card variant, as well as four-hand and three-hand variants.) Cribbage was invented by the 17th-century English poet and courtier John Suckling. The rules of play, though somewhat involved, are simple enough to make cribbage a popular pastime, particularly in Britain and the United States. The game usually ends at 121 (twice around the board plus one).

Examples of cribbage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The board has two parallel sets of 29 holes, and players use 10 small sticks with either jackal or dog heads, similar to the board and pegs of cribbage. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 16 Sep. 2024 The coffee table serves a purpose as well, as the site of card games, cribbage and chess. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2024 Their morning hike then segued to lunch at Sean's house, followed by a cribbage game and a long evening spent talking. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024 Around the same time, chaturanga (the precursor of chess) emerged in India, while the Egyptians invented senet, in which players raced each other to the end of the board, similar to cribbage. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cribbage 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cribbage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

crib entry 1

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cribbage was in 1630

Dictionary Entries Near cribbage

Cite this Entry

“Cribbage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cribbage. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

cribbage

noun
crib·​bage ˈkrib-ij How to pronounce cribbage (audio)
: a card game in which each player tries to form various counting combinations of cards

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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