n. & v.
n. 1 a a child's bed with barred or latticed sides; a cot. b a model of the Nativity of Christ, with a manger as a bed. 2 a barred container or rack for animal fodder. 3 colloq. a a translation of a text for the (esp. surreptitious) use of students. b plagiarized work etc. 4 a small house or cottage. 5 a framework lining the shaft of a mine. 6 colloq. a cribbage. b a set of cards given to the dealer at cribbage by all the players. 7 heavy crossed timbers used in foundations in loose soil etc. 8 sl. a brothel. 9 Austral. & NZ a light meal; food.
v.tr. (also absol.) (cribbed, cribbing) 1 colloq. copy (another person's work) unfairly or without acknowledgement. 2 confine in a small space. 3 colloq. pilfer, steal. 4 colloq. grumble. crib-biting a horse's habit of biting the manger while noisily breathing in and swallowing. cribber n.
[ OE crib(b) ]