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

Noun (2)

• burlesque
• caricature
• parody
• put-on
• send-up
• spoof
• takeoff
• travesty

Verb (2)

• chaff
• jive
• joke
• josh
• kid
• rally
• razz
• ride
• roast
• tease

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

But there have been people who have incurred major medical consequences, including one person who fell down while intoxicated and suffered a brain bleed and another who broke her ribs and nose. —Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 11 June 2024

Advertisement Bonus fact: In rare cases regardless of gender, a person might have a 13th pair of ribs, similar to our evolutionary cousins. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2024

Powell loves the Texas Longhorns, bro, and has been known to put back 40 ribs at the Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas. —Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 7 June 2024

Keep your ribs down, without arching your back, with your chin tucked. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 23 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ribb; akin to Old High German rippi rib, Old Church Slavonic 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

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