Etymology

tribble

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Today it means: A horizontal frame with wires stretched across it for drying paper. Full definition →

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tribble · noun1

Unknown. The Century Dictionary suggests possibly a corruption of cribble (“sieve”).

tribble · noun2

Probably invented for alliteration with trouble; the creatures first appeared in an episode called "The Trouble with Tribbles".

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.