The verb “kibble,” meaning to grind grain (αλέθω σιτηρά) or cereal (δημητριακά) into rough bits, has been around since the late 18th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
To be more precise, the English word kibble comes from Proto-Germanic *kip-, and later Old English cipp (A small piece of wood; a shaving; chip.)
The noun “kibble” is even older, dating from the early 15th century, but it had nothing to do with pet food (or bits of grain) in the early days. It meant a cudgel (ρόπαλο), a cobblestone (λιθόστρωτο), a piece of coal, and a kibble-hound–a cross between a beagle and the old English hound.
grind grain
cudgel
cobblestone
