crambo

noun

cram·bo ˈkram-(ˌ)bō

plural cramboes

: a game in which one player gives a word or line of verse to be matched in rhyme by other players

Did you know?

We've called the game "crambo" since at least 1660, but it was originally dubbed "crambe." The now-obsolete word crambe literally meant "cabbage," but it was rarely used for the leafy plant. Instead, it was used figuratively (in reference to a Latin phrase meaning "cabbage repeated or served up again") for things that were overused or repeated. The game, which was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, began with one player picking a word. A second player then tried to guess it by asking questions. For example: "I know a word that rhymes with 'bird.'" "Is it ridiculous?" "No, it is not absurd." "Is it a part of speech?" "No, it is not a word." And so on, until the word was guessed.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier crambe, from Latin, cabbage, from Greek krambē

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of crambo was in 1660

See more words from the same year

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Crambo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crambo. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

frugal

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!