Middle English Dictionary Entry
crib n.
Entry Info
| Forms | crib n. Also cribbe, crebe, crubbe. Pl. cribbes. |
| Etymology | OE crib; cp. OFris. kribbe, OHG krippa. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A manger; (b) a stall for a cow or ox; (c) a beehive.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)3321 : Ȝho..wand himm sone i winndeclut & leȝȝde himm inn an cribbe.
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)277 : Þu..was..dennet in a beastes cribbe.
- c1350 Of alle þe witti (Add 45896)62 : I mot care for cartus, for cloutes and crokkes, Coules and cimmilyncs, cracchus and cribbus.
- c1390 Evang.(Vrn)393 : In a Crubbe [vr. cribbe] he is leyd.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11272 : Þe child..Lai in crib [Göt: cribbe; Trin-C: cracche], tuix ox and ass.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)46/13 : And iij paas besyde is the crybbe [L la crachche] of the ox & the asse.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)73/23 : Sche cam to þe tempyl & to þe crybbe wher owyr Lord was born.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)103 : Crybbe, or cracche, or manger [KC: cribbe or bose]: Presepium, presepe.
- a1450(a1349) Rolle Com.LG (Cmb Dd.5.64)77/125 : Þe herdes..fand hym lyand in a krybbe, bytwyx twa bestes.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)97 : Þe oxe knowiþ his weldar, and þe as þe crib of his lord.
- a1500 Qwan crist was borne (StJ-C S.54)33 : Ihesu lay woondyn in a cryb of hey.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)155/564 : Haile, King of heaven so hy, borne in a Cribbe [Add: crebe]!
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)263b/a : If þe tayl of an old wolf is y-hanged at þe cribbe [L presepe] of kuyn, þanne wolues comeþ nought þer nyh.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)p.512 : Away sall be smytyn best of the fald, and nete sall noght be in kribbis.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)287b/b : An vnconnynge beste dryueþ suche dranes and chaceþ hem fro cribbes [L presepibus].
2.
A wicker basket.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.353 : Þey putte hym in a litel cribbe [L fiscella] i-schape as a litel bote.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)331a/a : Fiscella is a litel euelong cribbe ouþer a panyer y-weue wiþ smale ȝerdes of wiþye.
- c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)54b/b : He.., whan he myght no lenger hyde hym, toke a lytyl krybbe of rysshes and wykers..and put therin the chylde.
3.
(a) A surname; (b) name of some place frequented by lawyers.
Associated quotations
a
- (1200) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.1299 : Osbertus Cribbe.
b
- (1310) Yrbk.Edw.II in Seld Soc.19p.xvi : Et postea dictum fuit en le Cribbe coment il fut resceu a excepcioner.