# rib

Pronunciation: say "RIB" /ɹɪb/

## Noun

1. Any of the series of long curved bones, twelve pairs in humans, extending from the spine toward the breastbone.
   - Simple: One of the curved bones in your chest that protect the heart and lungs.
   - _The surgeon counted each rib before making the incision._
   - _A hard blow to the chest can fracture several ribs at once._
2. A cut of meat that encloses one or more rib bones.
   - Simple: A piece of meat that has one or more rib bones in it.
   - _He carved the rib into thick, juicy slices._
   - _These ribs had been marinating overnight in a spicy sauce._
4. A supporting piece, similar to a rib, that gives shape or strength to a structure.
   - Simple: A piece shaped like a rib that helps hold something up or give it shape.
   - _One rib of the umbrella snapped in the strong wind._
   - _The ribs of the corset gave the garment its firm shape._
5. A good-natured joke made to tease someone in fun.
   - Simple: A friendly joke that teases someone.
   - _The remark was a gentle rib aimed at the newest recruit._
   - _He could never resist a quick rib at his brother's expense._
6. One of a series of curved frames that rise up and out from a ship's keel and give the hull its skeleton.
   - Simple: One of the curved pieces that form the frame of a ship's body.
   - _The shipwright fitted a new rib against the keel._
   - _Rot had spread through several ribs along the lower hull._
7. Any of the transverse pieces that give an aircraft wing its shape and strength.
   - Simple: One of the crosswise pieces inside a plane's wing that give it shape and strength.
   - _Engineers spaced each rib evenly along the wing spar._
   - _Lightweight aluminum ribs reduce the aircraft's overall weight._
8. A long, narrow, usually arched member projecting from a structure's surface, especially one separating the webs of a vault.
   - Simple: A long, narrow, curved piece that sticks out from a ceiling or wall, often in old stone buildings.
   - _The cathedral's vault is divided by a slender stone rib._
   - _Gothic builders crossed the ribs to spread the roof's weight._
9. A raised ridge running through knitted material or woven cloth.
   - Simple: A raised line or ridge in knitted cloth, like the stretchy edge of a sweater.
   - _A narrow rib ran down each side of the woolen sock._
   - _The corduroy's ribs caught the light as he moved._
10. The main vein, or any of the prominent veins, running through a leaf.
   - Simple: The main thick vein running through the middle of a leaf.
   - _A strong central rib runs the length of the banana leaf._
   - _The smaller ribs branch outward toward the leaf's edge._
12. On a firearm, a metal strip mounted above the barrel along its length, giving the shooter a plane to sight along.
   - Simple: A flat strip of metal along the top of a gun barrel that helps you aim.
   - _The gunsmith polished the raised rib on the old shotgun._
   - _Shooters sight down the rib to keep both eyes level with the target._
13. A single stalk taken from a head of celery.
   - Simple: A single stalk of celery.
   - _Dice one rib of celery and add it to the pan._
   - _The outer ribs were tougher than the pale ones in the center._
15. A single strand of hair. *(colloquial, Ireland)*
   - Simple: A single piece of hair.
   - _He found a long red rib clinging to his coat._
   - _She tucked a loose rib behind her ear._
18. Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), a flowering plant of the borage family.
   - Simple: A wild flowering plant, also known as hound's-tongue.
   - _The grazing field was overrun with rib by midsummer._
   - _She crushed a leaf of rib and noticed its strong, mousy smell._
19. Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita), an aromatic herb of the daisy family.
   - Simple: A sweet-smelling garden herb, also known as costmary.
   - _A few leaves of rib gave the ale a warm, balsam scent._
   - _Grandmother kept dried rib among her books to keep them fresh._
20. Watercress (Nasturtium officinale), a peppery-leaved aquatic plant of the cabbage family.
   - Simple: A leafy water plant with a peppery taste, also known as watercress.
   - _The clear chalk stream was thick with rib all spring._
   - _He rinsed the rib carefully before adding it to the sandwich._

## Verb

3. To direct friendly jokes at someone without intending to hurt their feelings.
   - Simple: To gently make fun of someone as a joke, not to hurt them.
   - _The players rib each other constantly in the locker room._
   - _She ribbed her brother about his new haircut all evening._
11. To shape or strengthen something by fitting it with a rib or ribs.
   - Simple: To make something stronger by adding raised strips, or ribs, to it.
   - _Builders rib the dome with curved supports to spread the weight._
   - _The boat's hull was ribbed with oak frames for strength._
14. To enclose and protect something, as if surrounding it with ribs; to shut it in.
   - Simple: To close something in on all sides and keep it safe.
   - _Steep cliffs rib the harbor and protect the boats from open water._
   - _The vault was ribbed with iron bars, shutting the gold safely inside._
17. To plow land in a way that leaves strips of undisturbed ground between the furrows.
   - Simple: To plow land so that strips of soil are left untouched between the cut rows.
   - _Old hands still rib the heavy clay land rather than turning every furrow._
   - _He ribbed the hillside plot with a single-furrow plow._

## Noun

16. A wife, or a woman. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A man's wife.
   - _The farmer and his rib worked the land together for forty years._
   - _He dared not spend a penny without asking his rib first._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–17** — From Middle English "rib, ribbe," from Old English "ribb," going back through Proto-Germanic "*ribją" (rib, reef) to the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₁rebʰ-" (arch, ceiling, cover). It is related to Dutch "rib," German "Rippe," and Old Norse "rif." The sense of "wife or woman" refers to the Bible story of Eve being created from Adam's rib.
**Meanings 18–20** — From Middle English "ribbe," from Old English "ribbe," meaning the plant hound's-tongue.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/rib (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).