ribbon

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noun rib·bon \ ˈri-bən \

Definition of ribbon

1 a :a flat or tubular narrow closely woven fabric (as of silk or rayon) used for trimmings or knitting

b :a narrow fabric used for tying packages

c :a piece of usually multicolored ribbon worn as a military decoration or in place of a medal

d :a strip of colored satin given for winning a place in a competition

2 :a strip of inked fabric (as in a typewriter)

3 ribbons plural :reins for controlling an animal

4 :tatter, shred —usually used in plural

a sheet cut to ribbons

5 :ribband

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ribbonlike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

See ribbon defined for English-language learners

See ribbon defined for kids

Examples of ribbon in a Sentence

She wore pink ribbons in her hair.
She tied a ribbon around the present.
The present was tied with ribbon.
The soldier proudly wore his ribbons and medals.
Her pie won a ribbon at the county fair.

Recent Examples of ribbon from the Web

A mandolin is key for creating beautiful zucchini and cucumber noodle ribbons.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "How to cook with summer's favorite squash," 10 Aug. 2017
Garland's character, Dorothy, was clearly a favorite during the festival as several girls and women donned her blue-ribbon pigtails and blue dress with ruby slippers.

— frank vaisvilas, Daily Southtown, "'Wizard of Oz' fest takes Southland down yellow brick road," 9 Aug. 2017
The Burr Ridge Citizens Police Academy alumni decorated the trees along the red and blue ribbon along with some signs to encourage the cyclists and commemorate those who died.

— brooke eberle, chicagotribune.com, "Former Pleasantview firefighter who was killed on job remembered by Cycle Across Illinois," 19 July 2017
Pink ribbons were tied around trees; highway billboards lit up.

— christine hauser, New York Times, "Sketch of Suspect in Indiana Girls’ Murder Renews Hope for Case," 18 July 2017
A black cap with a white ribbon around the middle and black and white Adidas bring out the bra and jersey's colors.

— suzannah weiss, Teen Vogue, "Bella Thorne Went Out in a Little Black Bra Under an Open Jersey," 16 July 2017
Yellow ribbons now line the Newtown street where Patrick lived with his grandparents.

— michael r. sisak, The Seattle Times, "From small crimes, cousins allegedly move to killing 4 men," 15 July 2017
Thousands of jewelry-making items—clasps and beads and hooks and ribbons—will keep little ones busy for hours.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
And at the black ribbon marked with a date range: 1992-2016.

— ethan bauer, miamiherald, "It could have been ‘his All-Star Game.’ Now, reminders of Jose Fernandez are everywhere.," 8 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ribbon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ribbon

Middle English riban, from Anglo-French ribane, rubane

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

ribbon Synonyms

Synonyms

list, strip, slip

Related Words

slat; band, bandage, belt, binding, girth, strap, swatch, swath (or swathe), tape

ribbon

verb

Definition of ribbon

transitive verb

1 a :to adorn with ribbons

b :to divide into ribbons

c :to cover with or as if with ribbons

2 :to rip to shreds

Examples of ribbon in a Sentence

over the years the historic flag had become badly ribboned by the wind

Recent Examples of ribbon from the Web

For me, all the blue and gold ribboned boxes in the world can’t hold a candle to Passover.

— Orange County Register, "Cooking with Judy: Can’t beat the cuisine at the community Seder," 6 Apr. 2017
The English Channel was not a wide strip of water separating present-day England and France, but instead a frozen, river-ribboned tundra connecting the two lands.

— amina khan, latimes.com, "Natural Brexit: Britain's original separation from Europe left scars on English Channel," 5 Apr. 2017
CONSIDER THE BANKER BAG, that tubular gym bag, distinctly ribboned around its girth with the telltale logo of a financial institution.

— jacob gallagher, WSJ, "The Banker Bag Gets a Much-Needed Makeover," 8 Mar. 2017
Wang, an American, had the red-ribboned medal pinned to her black dress by Gerard Araud, the French ambassador to the U.S., in a ceremony at the Musée de l’Armée.

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "Saint Laurent is trying too hard to be sexy, and it’s just not working," 1 Mar. 2017
Billions of dollars in half-finished construction projects ribbon the city skyline: concrete skeletons of hotels, shopping malls and apartment blocks, swaddled in scaffolding and motionless cranes.

— declan walsh, New York Times, "Tripoli, a Tense and Listless City With Gunmen and a Well-Stocked Hugo Boss Outlet," 6 Mar. 2016

First Known Use of ribbon

1656

ribbon Synonyms

Synonyms

rend, tear, rip, rive, shred, tatter

Related Words

break, cleave, rupture, split; cut, gash, incise, lacerate, slash; butcher, dismember, dissect, hack, mangle

RIBBON Defined for English Language Learners

ribbon

play

noun

Definition of ribbon for English Language Learners

: a narrow piece of cloth (such as silk) that is used to tie things or for decoration
: a short piece of cloth that is given as a military award
: a piece of colored cloth that is given as an award in a competition