kibble
UK[ˈkɪb.əl]US[ˈkɪb.əl]
n
Coarsely ground meal or grain, used especially for animal feed.
n
Small pellets of processed food for pets.
v
To grind or cut (grain, etc.) into coarse particles.
Etymology
The journey of 'kibble' is one of sound and action. Its probable Germanic roots connect to the concept of beating or crushing with a blunt instrument. This core idea of forceful breaking down was applied specifically to the process of grinding grain into coarse, uneven pieces. Over time, the noun form emerged to describe the resulting product itself—the rough, granular meal. The modern sense of processed pet food pellets is a direct extension of this, referring to the small, hard, bite-sized pieces manufactured for animal consumption.
Analysis
The word 'kibble' is a simplex word. It is likely a borrowing from Middle English kiblen, meaning "to bruise or crush," which itself may be of Germanic origin, possibly related to a word for a club or cudgel used for pounding.
Examples
The farmer stored sacks of kibble for the livestock over the winter.
She poured a cup of dry kibble into the dog's bowl.
The old mill was used to kibble the barley into animal feed.