ribbon

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noun rib·bon \ˈri-bən\

Definition of ribbon

1a : a flat or tubular narrow closely woven fabric (as of silk or rayon) used for trimmings or knittingb : a narrow fabric used for tying packagesc : a piece of usually multicolored ribbon worn as a military decoration or in place of a medald : 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

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

Ribbons were tied around the midriff, and tassels hung off waist-binding belts.

— Bloomberg.com, "Chanel Aims High With Starry 'Eiffel Tower' Paris Show", 4 July 2017
Ribbons will be awarded during the 3 p.m. judging next to Round Table Pizza, 16761 Bernardo Center Drive.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Rancho Bernardo to offer full-day of Independence Day fun", 28 June 2017
The 100-mile stretch of islands are, at times, nothing more than ribbon-like sandbars intersected by various waterways.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Take a trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina", 27 June 2017
For the carrot Penrod prefers peeling it and then using a julienne peeler to shave perfectly thin ribbons off the carrot.

— chris ross, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Rustle up ‘Mexi Ranch’ style pasta salad", 27 June 2017
Gabriela gave her blue ribbons to pin back her hair.

— jessica contrera, Washington Post, "He crossed the border illegally but wasn’t deported — because he brought his child", 25 June 2017
The ribbon cutting for the facility is set for 2 p.m. on June 30.

— erin edgemon, AL.com, "Birmingham's downtown MAX central station now open", 19 June 2017
Her corsage replaces fresh flowers with sheer white ribbon and a white fidget spinner, which perfectly matches her white heels.

— sophie hirsh, Teen Vogue, "This Fidget Spinner Corsage WINS Prom 2017", 19 June 2017
Minutes later, the honor also brought an awkward and humorous moment, falling off the ribbon around the Dalai Lama’s neck and landing on the podium with a loud clank.

— gary warth, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Dalai Lama gives UCSD students hope, challenges in commencement talk", 17 June 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

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

ribbon

verb rib·bon

Definition of ribbon

transitive verb
1a : to adorn with ribbonsb : to divide into ribbonsc : 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

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 Defined for English Language Learners

ribbon

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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

RIBBON Defined for Kids

ribbon

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noun rib·bon \ˈri-bən\

Definition of ribbon for Students

1 : a narrow strip of usually colorful fabric used especially for decoration or to tie things
2 : a ribbon that is given as an award
3 : tatter 1, shred —usually used in pl. The sails were torn to ribbons.