"cubby" meaning in English

See cubby in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /kʌbi/ [Southern-England, US], /ˈkʊbi/ [Ireland, Northern-England] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-cubby.wav [Southern-England] Forms: cubbies [plural]
Rhymes: -ʌbi Etymology: From Middle English cub (“stall”) + -y (diminutive suffix). Cognate with French cagibi. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|cub|t=stall}} Middle English cub (“stall”), {{suf|en||-y|id2=diminutive|pos2=diminutive suffix}} + -y (diminutive suffix), {{cog|fr|cagibi}} French cagibi Head templates: {{en-noun}} cubby (plural cubbies)
  1. A small, confined space.
    Sense id: en-cubby-en-noun-cCMxQaWk Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -y (diminutive), Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 89 7 4 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -y (diminutive): 58 20 22 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 92 4 4 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 93 4 3
  2. A cell in a shelf for storing items, particularly in a school. Synonyms: pigeonhole
    Sense id: en-cubby-en-noun-WPIsw1Zy
  3. (archaic, chiefly Orkney) A cup-shaped straw basket with a strap Tags: Orkney, archaic
    Sense id: en-cubby-en-noun-nD-eB6QE Categories (other): Orkney English
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: cubbyhole, cubby hole, cubby house

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "cubbyhole"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "cubby hole"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "cubby house"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "cub",
      "cub#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_diminutive"
    ],
    [
      "cagibi",
      "cagibi#French"
    ]
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "cub",
        "t": "stall"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English cub (“stall”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "-y",
        "id2": "diminutive",
        "pos2": "diminutive suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "+ -y (diminutive suffix)",
      "name": "suf"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "cagibi"
      },
      "expansion": "French cagibi",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English cub (“stall”) + -y (diminutive suffix). Cognate with French cagibi.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "cubbies",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "cubby (plural cubbies)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "89 7 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "58 20 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -y (diminutive)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "92 4 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "93 4 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small, confined space."
      ],
      "id": "en-cubby-en-noun-cCMxQaWk"
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2024, Jackie Mader, In Norway, having a joyful, secure childhood is a right enshrined into law, in: The Christian Science Monitor, October 15 2024",
          "text": "It’s standard for Norwegian kindergartens to have rows of cubbies just inside the door, each storing layers of spare clothes, including rain and snow gear and boots and mittens."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A cell in a shelf for storing items, particularly in a school."
      ],
      "id": "en-cubby-en-noun-WPIsw1Zy",
      "links": [
        [
          "cell",
          "cell"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "pigeonhole"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Orkney English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              40,
              46
            ],
            [
              55,
              61
            ],
            [
              83,
              89
            ],
            [
              107,
              113
            ],
            [
              107,
              114
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1911, James Omond, Orkney 80 Years Ago (With Special Reference to Evie):",
          "text": "We have not time to describe the windo' cubbie, sawing cubbie or the smaller horse cubbie and bait and sea cubbies.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              42,
              49
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1931, Proceedings of the Orkney Antiquarian Society, 1923–31:",
          "text": "He was carrying the necessary stones in a \"cubby\" when the \"fettle\" broke, the stones fell out, and this mound was formed.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              99,
              105
            ],
            [
              216,
              222
            ],
            [
              216,
              223
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1909, Old-lore Miscellany Orkney, Shetland, Caithness, Sutherland:",
          "text": "The fettle was just as long as to allow the fore-arm to pass through and sustain the weight of the cubbie as it was slung over the left shoulder - the usual practise, except in the case of beggars, who carried their cubbies on their backs like a caisey",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A cup-shaped straw basket with a strap"
      ],
      "id": "en-cubby-en-noun-nD-eB6QE",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic, chiefly Orkney) A cup-shaped straw basket with a strap"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Orkney",
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kʌbi/",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-cubby.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/85/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-cubby.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-cubby.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/85/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-cubby.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-cubby.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkʊbi/",
      "tags": [
        "Ireland",
        "Northern-England"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌbi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "cubby"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms suffixed with -y (diminutive)",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌbi",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌbi/2 syllables"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "cubbyhole"
    },
    {
      "word": "cubby hole"
    },
    {
      "word": "cubby house"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "cub",
      "cub#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_diminutive"
    ],
    [
      "cagibi",
      "cagibi#French"
    ]
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "cub",
        "t": "stall"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English cub (“stall”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "-y",
        "id2": "diminutive",
        "pos2": "diminutive suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "+ -y (diminutive suffix)",
      "name": "suf"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "cagibi"
      },
      "expansion": "French cagibi",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English cub (“stall”) + -y (diminutive suffix). Cognate with French cagibi.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "cubbies",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "cubby (plural cubbies)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A small, confined space."
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2024, Jackie Mader, In Norway, having a joyful, secure childhood is a right enshrined into law, in: The Christian Science Monitor, October 15 2024",
          "text": "It’s standard for Norwegian kindergartens to have rows of cubbies just inside the door, each storing layers of spare clothes, including rain and snow gear and boots and mittens."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A cell in a shelf for storing items, particularly in a school."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cell",
          "cell"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "pigeonhole"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Orkney English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              40,
              46
            ],
            [
              55,
              61
            ],
            [
              83,
              89
            ],
            [
              107,
              113
            ],
            [
              107,
              114
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1911, James Omond, Orkney 80 Years Ago (With Special Reference to Evie):",
          "text": "We have not time to describe the windo' cubbie, sawing cubbie or the smaller horse cubbie and bait and sea cubbies.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              42,
              49
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1931, Proceedings of the Orkney Antiquarian Society, 1923–31:",
          "text": "He was carrying the necessary stones in a \"cubby\" when the \"fettle\" broke, the stones fell out, and this mound was formed.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              99,
              105
            ],
            [
              216,
              222
            ],
            [
              216,
              223
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1909, Old-lore Miscellany Orkney, Shetland, Caithness, Sutherland:",
          "text": "The fettle was just as long as to allow the fore-arm to pass through and sustain the weight of the cubbie as it was slung over the left shoulder - the usual practise, except in the case of beggars, who carried their cubbies on their backs like a caisey",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A cup-shaped straw basket with a strap"
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic, chiefly Orkney) A cup-shaped straw basket with a strap"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Orkney",
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kʌbi/",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-cubby.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/85/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-cubby.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-cubby.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/85/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-cubby.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-cubby.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkʊbi/",
      "tags": [
        "Ireland",
        "Northern-England"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌbi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "cubby"
}

Download raw JSONL data for cubby meaning in English (3.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-10-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-10-01 using wiktextract (19f9a30 and 6f96ddf). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.