fribble

1 of 2

verb

frib·​ble ˈfri-bəl How to pronounce fribble (audio)
fribbled; fribbling ˈfri-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce fribble (audio)

transitive verb

: to trifle or fool away

intransitive verb

1
: trifle
2
obsolete : dodder

fribble

2 of 2

noun

: a frivolous person, thing, or idea
fribble adjective

Examples of fribble in a Sentence

Verb somehow, he managed to spend the whole morning fribbling instead of doing his assigned work
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
And then Jimmy and his mom go to Friendly’s for dinner and ice cream, and Jimmy tries to convince his mom that a fribble is dinner. Gary Gramling, SI.com, 7 Jan. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1633, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fribble was in 1633

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Cite this Entry

“Fribble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fribble. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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