English Explanatory Dictionary

rib

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  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.
  2. A part or piece, similar to a rib, and serving to shape or support something.
  3. A cut of meat enclosing one or more rib bones.
  4. Any of several curved members attached to a ship's keel and extending upward and outward to form the framework of the hull.
  5. Any of several transverse pieces that provide an aircraft wing with shape and strength.
  6. A long, narrow, usually arched member projecting from the surface of a structure, especially such a member separating the webs of a vault
  7. A strip of metal running along the top of the barrel that serves as a sighting plane.
  8. A raised ridge in knitted material or in cloth.
  9. The main, or any of the prominent veins of a leaf.
  10. A teasing joke.
  11. A single strand of hair.
  12. A stalk of celery.
verb
  1. To shape, support, or provide something with a rib or ribs.
  2. To tease or make fun of someone in a good-natured way.
  3. To enclose, as if with ribs, and protect; to shut in.
  4. To leave strips of undisturbed ground between the furrows in ploughing (land).
noun
  1. Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale).
  2. Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita).
  3. Watercress (Nasturtium officinale).
noun
  1. Acronym of rigid inflatable boat (“a lightweight inflatable boat with a rigid hull”).
  2. routing information base

Pronunciation

rĭb /ɹɪb/ en-us-rib.ogg

Word forms

rib ribs ribbing ribbed

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

rigid inflatable boat rigid-hulled inflatable boat rhibbie ribbie RHIB

Derived words

abdominal rib baby back rib baldrib beef rib chuck rib Dogrib false rib floating rib flying rib forerib lierne rib middle rib midrib prime rib ribband ribbed vault ribber ribbie ribby rib-cage ribcage ribectomy rib eye rib-eye ribeye ribeye steak rib eye steak rib-eye steak rib-faced deer ribgrass ribless riblet riblike rib-rack ribroast ribspare ribsteak rib steak ribstone rib-tickler rib-tickling rib vault ribwich ribwork ribwort short rib sparerib spare rib spare-rib spear-rib standing rib stick to one's ribs toby rib transverse rib true rib
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