Corn Crib
A corn crib is a small storage building for holding ears of corn. Common on Southern and Appalachian farms, it was slatted for air flow so the corn could dry without spoiling.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Dad said my Papaw would keep a black snake in the 'corn crib' to keep the mice out of it. You don't hear about these much nowadays. Hillbilly Dude Says...
Dad said my Papaw would keep a black snake in the 'corn crib' to keep the mice out of it. You don't hear about these much nowadays. Pronunciation
[CORN-crib]
Meaning & Usage
- Farm building for corn storage (noun)
Mae:
Where’s the feed for the hogs?
Where’s the feed for the hogs?
Earl:
Still in the corn crib.
Still in the corn crib.- Corn measured by crib (noun, usage)
Mae:
Did you get much this year?
Did you get much this year?
Earl:
Bout two cribs of corn.
Bout two cribs of corn.variations: corn house, corn shed, the crib, crib of corn
★ Corn cribs were built with slats or gaps between boards to let air through. That kept the corn dry for livestock feed and meal. Many stood on stone piers to keep rats out. ★
Origin and Etymology
From Old English "cribb," meaning manger or rack. By the 1800s, "corn crib" was standard farm talk across the South and Appalachia for a small outbuilding dedicated to corn.
Usage Notes
Corn cribs were once common on every farm. Today they’re rare, mostly remembered by older generations or preserved on historic farmsteads.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "corn-crib."
Kin Topics
Related Pages
How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 4). Corn Crib. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/corn-crib
- MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Corn Crib." HillbillySlang.com, 4 Sept. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/corn-crib.
- Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Corn Crib." HillbillySlang.com. September 4, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/corn-crib.
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