Definition
gribble
noun
- a small marine crustacean that burrows into and damages wooden structures, especially ship hulls and pilings
Usage: nautical; technical
verb
- to complain or grumble in a petty or persistent manner
Usage: informal; chiefly British
Examples
- The wooden dock was damaged by gribbles that had tunneled through the support beams.
- Gribbles are a serious problem for maritime industries that rely on wooden vessels.
- He spent the entire meeting gribbling about minor issues instead of focusing on solutions.
- She tends to gribble whenever things don't go exactly as planned.
- The ship's hull was infested with gribbles after months at sea.
- Don't gribble to me about the weather—there's nothing we can do about it.