1
slang : money especially in small amounts
2
: claim, rights
I have dibs on that piece of cake

Examples of dibs in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web First dibs go to significant contributors as measured by joining company advisory boards or having high karma, a secretly determined grade of someone’s behavior on Reddit. Robert Peck, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024 One thing's for sure: Last one to call dibs has to be Midge—sorry not sorry. Emily Becker, Women's Health, 6 Sep. 2023 The teams with the worst record on waiver claims will have first dibs. Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 29 Aug. 2023 That’s a whole lot of rearranging the deck chairs, with Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle expected to get first dibs next month at filling the primo vacancies. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2023 But not everyone can start shopping immediately, since the retailer’s most loyal shoppers get first dibs. Talia Abbas, Glamour, 11 July 2023 Among civilized people, the following rules apply: First dibs goes to anyone paying for the entire trip (or a large portion thereof). Marisa Meltzer, Town & Country, 14 June 2023 Chefs at the top have first dibs at the cornucopia of ingredients, while those in the basement are left with the scraps. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023 After principal players were given first dibs, remaining instruments went into a lottery system, allowing players to acquire them for two-year terms. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dibs.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

short for dibstones jacks, from obsolete dib to dab

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dibs was in 1812

Dictionary Entries Near dibs

Cite this Entry

“Dibs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dibs. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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