cribbage

/ˈkɹɪbɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈkɹɪbɪd͡ʒ// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"cribbage" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cribbage” is uncommon English (frequency #86,177 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#86,177
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A point-counting card game for two players, with variants for three or four players; the cribbage board used for scoring to 61 or 121 points in numerous small increments is characteristic.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cribbage · cribbage · English

cribbage · rank #86,177 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #86,177
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Crespi

Nearest frequency peer: Crespi (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “cribbage”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cribbage” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cribbage
PropertyValue
Headwordcribbage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹɪbɪd͡ʒ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#86,177
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cribbage” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).cribbagefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Crespi” (#86,176), “Critchley” (#86,179), “crosscountry” (#86,181). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cribbage” is #86,177. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cribbage is uncommon English at frequency #86,177 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɹɪbɪd͡ʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for cribbage in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From crib + -age. Named from the "crib" consisting of certain cards laid aside by each player. The correct English form is cribbage, spelled C-R-I-B-B-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A point-counting card game for two players, with variants for three or four players; the cribbage board used for scoring to 61 or 121 points in numerous small increments is characteristic.
  2. 2
    A variety of pocket billiards that, like the card game, awards points for pairs that total 15. A player who pockets a ball of a particular number must then immediately pocket the companion ball that brings the number to 15.
  3. 3
    A point scored in this variety of pocket billiards.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how cribbage appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. His solicitude for Sir Horace, his brother-in-law, was extreme, and he passed hours in the sick youth’s chamber, playing at cribbage, or dominos, or indulging the young baronet’s remarkable turn for cutting out trees, animals, or birds with tiny scissors on delicate paper.
  2. How much more real this dream was than that they should go back to the house where the sleeping children lay and where Stanley and Beryl played cribbage.

Etymology

From crib + -age. Named from the "crib" consisting of certain cards laid aside by each player.

Synonyms

crib

This word in other languages

crib(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cribbage"?
"cribbage" is spelled C-R-I-B-B-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹɪbɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "cribbage" mean?
As a noun, "cribbage" means: A point-counting card game for two players, with variants for three or four players; the cribbage board used for scoring to 61 or 121 points in numerous small increments is characteristic.
How do you pronounce "cribbage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cribbage" is /ˈkɹɪbɪd͡ʒ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cribbage"?
From crib + -age. Named from the "crib" consisting of certain cards laid aside by each player. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cribbage", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cornetto#86,167classist#86,145dichroic#86,209chrystal#86,143

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list