Definition of "gribble" [grib•ble]

• Any of several small wood-boring marine isopod crustaceans of the genus Limnoria, especially L. lignorum, which often damage underwater wooden structures. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The gribble is found in the water chewing on rotting logs, boats, and docks, and to this point it has been considered an annoying pest."
• "The scientists reckon that information learned from the gribble could increase the efficiency of biofuel conversion by a factor of 6, making biofuels even more cost effective and utilizing non-food crops."
• "Scientists hope to replicate the incredible enzyme used by the gribble in order to produce ethanol fuel from the organic matter."