cribbage
UK[ˈkrɪbɪdʒ]US[ˈkrɪbɪdʒ]
n
A card game for two, three, or four players, in which the objective is to play cards combining to certain totals and to form various scoring combinations, with scores traditionally recorded by moving pegs on a small board.
Morpheme Breakdown
crib
age
crib
crib
age
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'cribbage' is derived directly from the game's key feature, the 'crib'. The term 'crib' itself has a long history, originating from Old English cribb/crybb, meaning a manger or fodder rack, a confined space for holding something. This sense evolved metaphorically to denote a confined receptacle or a collection of items set aside. In the 17th century, when the game was invented, 'crib' was applied to the extra set of cards discarded by players and given to the dealer, a 'collection' of cards held apart. The addition of the French-derived noun suffix '-age' forms a word meaning 'the state or condition related to a crib,' thus naming the entire game after its most distinctive scoring element.
Analysis
Structure: crib (crib) + age (noun suffix)
crib: From Middle English cribbe, Old English cribb (manger, stall). In the context of the game, it refers to an extra hand of cards discarded by the players and scored by the dealer.
age: A noun-forming suffix of French/Latin origin (-age), indicating a state, condition, or collection.
Examples
We spent the evening playing a few friendly hands of cribbage.
He skillfully counted his hand and pegged the points on the cribbage board.
Learning the rules of cribbage can seem daunting at first due to its unique scoring system.