Rib

//ɹɪb// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any of a series of long curved bones occurring in 12 pairs in humans and other animals and extending from the spine to or toward the sternum.

    "On an early winter afternoon, clear but not cold, when the vegetable world was a weird multitude of skeletons through whose ribs the sun shone freely, a gleaming landau came to a pause on the crest of a hill in Wessex."

  2. 2
    Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale).
  3. 3
    Acronym of rigid inflatable boat (“a lightweight inflatable boat with a rigid hull”). abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
  4. 4
    support resembling the rib of an animal wordnet
  5. 5
    A part or piece, similar to a rib, and serving to shape or support something. broadly

    "a broken rib on the umbrella"

Show 19 more definitions
  1. 6
    Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita).
  2. 7
    routing information base Internet
  3. 8
    a projecting molding on the underside of a vault or ceiling; may be ornamental or structural wordnet
  4. 9
    A cut of meat enclosing one or more rib bones.
  5. 10
    Watercress (Nasturtium officinale).
  6. 11
    a riblike supporting or strengthening part of an animal or plant wordnet
  7. 12
    Any of several curved members attached to a ship's keel and extending upward and outward to form the framework of the hull.
  8. 13
    any of the 12 pairs of curved arches of bone extending from the spine to or toward the sternum in humans (and similar bones in most vertebrates) wordnet
  9. 14
    Any of several transverse pieces that provide an aircraft wing with shape and strength.
  10. 15
    a teasing remark wordnet
  11. 16
    A long, narrow, usually arched member projecting from the surface of a structure, especially such a member separating the webs of a vault
  12. 17
    cut of meat including one or more ribs wordnet
  13. 18
    A strip of metal running along the top of the barrel that serves as a sighting plane.
  14. 19
    A raised ridge in knitted material or in cloth.
  15. 20
    The main, or any of the prominent veins of a leaf.
  16. 21
    A teasing joke.
  17. 22
    A single strand of hair. Ireland, colloquial
  18. 23
    A stalk of celery.
  19. 24
    A wife or woman. archaic, humorous, literary

    "'Near to it was the portrait of his rib, Dame Middleton.'"

Verb
  1. 1
    To shape, support, or provide something with a rib or ribs.
  2. 2
    subject to laughter or ridicule wordnet
  3. 3
    To tease or make fun of someone in a good-natured way.

    "He always gets ribbed for his outrageous shirts."

  4. 4
    form vertical ribs by knitting wordnet
  5. 5
    To enclose, as if with ribs, and protect; to shut in.

    "It [lead] were too gross To rib her cerecloth in the obscure grave."

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    To leave strips of undisturbed ground between the furrows in ploughing (land). transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English rib, ribbe, from Old English ribb (“rib”), from Proto-West Germanic *ribi, from Proto-Germanic *ribją (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- (“arch, ceiling, cover”). Cognate with Dutch rib (“rib”), Norwegian ribbe (“sparerib”), Norwegian ribben (“rib”), Low German ribbe (“rib”), German Rippe (“rib”), Old Norse rif (“rib, reef”), Serbo-Croatian rèbro (“rib”). (wife or woman): In reference to the creation of Eve from Adam's rib in the Bible.

Etymology 2

From Middle English rib, ribbe, from Old English ribb (“rib”), from Proto-West Germanic *ribi, from Proto-Germanic *ribją (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- (“arch, ceiling, cover”). Cognate with Dutch rib (“rib”), Norwegian ribbe (“sparerib”), Norwegian ribben (“rib”), Low German ribbe (“rib”), German Rippe (“rib”), Old Norse rif (“rib, reef”), Serbo-Croatian rèbro (“rib”). (wife or woman): In reference to the creation of Eve from Adam's rib in the Bible.

Etymology 3

From Middle English ribbe, from Old English ribbe (“hound's-tongue”).

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