ribbon

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

—

ribbonlike

play \ˈri-bən-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

Boone County High School's marching band performs at 7:55 a.m. Thursday to start a 30-minute public ribbon cutting ceremony.

— chris mayhew, Cincinnati.com, "Union, Ky., Kroger Marketplace opens this week," 12 Sep. 2017
The doodles are connected with swirling ribbons, with splashes of red and green and illustrations like snowflakes, presents, stars, and hearts.

— danielle tullo, Cosmopolitan, "ALERT: The Starbucks Holiday Cups Are Officially Here," 1 Nov. 2017
Of the many special touches, having your passport returned to your room after check-in, neatly tied with a ribbon.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "andBeyond Benguerra Island," 20 Oct. 2017
The Johnson family took home three ribbons: First place for mom Carmen Johnson’s bread, second for daughter Maya’s homegrown basil, and third for son Finn’s homegrown zucchini.

— maureen robertson, Ramona Sentinel, "Jalapeno jelly takes a top prize in Home Sweet Home Contest," 1 Sep. 2017
Copeland re-creates Degas's The Star; Valentino dress, $15,500, 212-355-5811; Wilhelm headpiece, $495, and corsages,$135, wilhelm-nyc.com; Mokuba ribbon, $11 per yard, 212-869-8900.

— Harper's BAZAAR, "Misty Copeland and Degas: Art of Dance," 10 Feb. 2016
Miami-Dade County Commissioners Rebeca Sosa and Sally Heyman, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, and county commissioner Esteban Bovo, cut the ribbon at the launch of El Al flights at Miami International Airport on Wednesday, November 1.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "After nine-year hiatus, non-stop flights from Miami to Israel are back with El Al | Miami Herald," 1 Nov. 2017
And just a decade after the Tashlin pictures, Mansfield was working bottom-market nightclubs, supermarket ribbon-cuttings and a disastrous U.S.O. tour in Vietnam.

— jordan hoffman, HWD, "Did the Devil Kill Jayne Mansfield?," 24 Oct. 2017
The group is expected to make its last stand in a ribbon of towns, including Deir ez-Zor, along the Euphrates river.

— The Economist, "The crumbling caliphateAnother defeat for Islamic State," 7 Sep. 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

ribbon Synonyms

Synonyms

list, slip, strip;

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

The croissants are Philly’s best, their whorling layers tanged with cultured butter and honey — even better ribboned with intense chocolate.

— craig laban, Philly.com, "Hungry Pigeon serves comfort plates with a cheffy twist," 9 Dec. 2017
In the chef’s kitchen, ribboned calacatta marble countertops pair with custom white cabinetry.

— neal j. leitereg, latimes.com, "Former Angel Gary Matthews Jr. parts with a home base in Corona del Mar," 19 Oct. 2017
Perhaps the best example of this is Lasa’s lumpia sariwa, a menu staple that takes a traditional Filipino rice flour crepe and the cuisine’s signature bright, vinegary sauces and pairs them with a bed of ribboned kale.

— zan romanoff, Bon Appetit, "We Want Everything on the Menu at This New Cali-Filipino Restaurant," 12 Sep. 2017
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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

RIBBON Defined for English Language Learners

ribbon

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