rib

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈrib 

1

a

: any of the paired curved bony or partly cartilaginous rods that stiffen the walls of the body of most vertebrates and protect the viscera

b(1)

: a cut of meat including a rib see beef illustration

(2)

: a boneless cut of meat (such as beef or pork) from a rib section

c

[from the account of Eve's creation from Adam's rib in Genesis 2:21–22] : wife

2

: something resembling a rib in shape or function: such as

a(1)

: a traverse member of the frame of a ship that runs from keel to deck

(2)

: a light fore-and-aft member in an airplane's wing

b

: one of the stiff strips supporting an umbrella's fabric

c

: one of the arches in Romanesque and Gothic vaulting meeting and crossing one another and dividing the whole vaulted space into triangles

3

: an elongated ridge: such as

a(1)

: a vein of an insect's wing

(2)

: one of the primary veins of a leaf

b

: one of the ridges in a knitted or woven fabric

Illustration of rib

• ribs 1a

rib

2 of 4

verb (1)

ribbed; ribbing

transitive verb

1

: to furnish or enclose with ribs

2

: to knit so as to form vertical ridges in

rib

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

: joke

2

: parody

rib

4 of 4

verb (2)

ribbed; ribbing

transitive verb

: to poke fun at : kid

Synonyms of rib

Noun (2)

• parody
• spoof
• satire

Verb (2)

• tease
• kid
• joke
• roast

Examples of rib in a Sentence

Noun (2)

the movie is a rib of the "dramatic love story" that was so popular in the 1950s

began to lose his sense of humor after being the butt of his friends' ribs once too often

Verb (2)

ribbed him a bit about fumbling such an easy play

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Meal kits include ham, turkey, prime rib and beef brisket dinners with a gluten-free turkey dinner option. —Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025

Sabar served Pakistani barbecue like Sichuan lamb ribs and tandoori turkey. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Dec. 2025

Verb

Pottery Barn Modern Fair Isle Throw Curl up with this reversible throw blanket, which feels like a warm sweater with its fleece bottom, fuzzy top, and ribbed edges. —Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025

Yang’s mock competition with the actor Simu Liu, best known for being the first Asian star of a Marvel movie, poked fun at how goofy these milestones could sound, while also ribbing the expectations set by the model-minority stereotype. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ribb; akin to Old High German rippi rib, Old Church Slavic rebro, and probably to Greek erephein to roof over

Verb (2) and Noun (2)

probably from rib entry 1; from the tickling of the ribs to cause laughter

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1912, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rib

• false rib
• floating rib
• rib cage
• rib eye
• rib eye steak
• rib roast
• true rib

Rhymes for rib

• bib
• bibb
• crib
• gib
• glib
• jib
• lib
• mib
• nib
• sib
• squib
• imatinib

Kids Definition

rib

1 of 3 noun

ˈrib 

1

a

: one of the series of curved bones of the chest of most vertebrates that are joined to the spinal column in pairs and help to support the body wall and protect the organs inside

b

: a cut of meat including a rib

2

: something (as a piece of wire supporting the fabric of an umbrella) resembling a rib

3

a

: a major vein of an insect's wing or of a leaf

b

: one of the parallel ridges in a knitted or woven fabric

rib

2 of 3 verb

ribbed; ribbing

1

: to furnish or enclose with ribs

2

: to form ribs in a fabric in knitting or weaving

ribber noun

rib

3 of 3 verb

ribbed; ribbing

: to make jokes about : kid

ribber noun

Medical Definition

rib

noun

ˈrib 

: any of the paired curved bony or partly cartilaginous rods that stiffen the lateral walls of the body of most vertebrates and protect the viscera, that occur in mammals exclusively or almost exclusively in the thoracic region, and that in humans normally include 12 pairs of which all are articulated with the spinal column at the dorsal end and the first 10 are connected also at the ventral end with the sternum by costal cartilages see false rib, floating rib, true rib