ribbon
Americannoun
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a woven strip or band of fine material, as silk or rayon, varying in width and finished off at the edges, used for ornament, tying, etc.
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material in such strips.
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anything resembling or suggesting a ribbon or woven band.
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a band of inked material used in a typewriter, adding machine, etc., that supplies ink for printing the figure on the striking typeface onto the paper beneath.
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a strip of material, as satin or rayon, being or representing a medal or similar decoration, especially a military one.
an overseas ribbon.
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ribbons,
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torn or ragged strips; shreds.
clothes torn to ribbons.
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reins for driving.
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a long, thin flexible band of metal, as for a spring, a band saw, or a tapeline.
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Also called ribbon board. Also called ledger, ledger board. Also called ribbon strip,. Carpentry. Also a thin horizontal piece attached to studding to support the ends of joists.
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Architecture. came.
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Nautical. Also a distinctive narrow band or stripe painted along the exterior of a hull.
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Shipbuilding. ribband.
verb (used with object)
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to adorn with ribbon.
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to mark with something suggesting ribbon.
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to separate into ribbonlike strips.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a narrow strip of fine material, esp silk, used for trimming, tying, etc
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something resembling a ribbon; a long strip
a ribbon of land
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a long thin flexible band of metal used as a graduated measure, spring, etc
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a long narrow strip of ink-impregnated cloth for making the impression of type characters on paper in a typewriter or similar device
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(plural) ragged strips or shreds (esp in the phrase torn to ribbons )
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a small strip of coloured cloth signifying membership of an order or award of military decoration, prize, or other distinction
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a small, usually looped, strip of coloured cloth worn to signify support for a charity or cause
a red AIDS ribbon
verb
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to adorn with a ribbon or ribbons
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to mark with narrow ribbon-like marks
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to reduce to ribbons; tear into strips
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ribbonsimple
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ribbonssimple
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have ribbonedperfect
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has ribbonedperfect
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am ribboningprogressive
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are ribboningprogressive
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is ribboningprogressive
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have been ribboningperfect progressive
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has been ribboningperfect progressive
Past
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ribbonedsimple
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had ribbonedperfect
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was ribboningprogressive
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were ribboningprogressive
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had been ribboningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ribbon
First recorded in 1520–30; variant of Middle English riban(d), from Old French, variant of r(e)uban, perhaps from Germanic; see band 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A bright blue first-place ribbon materializes and becomes the perfect accessory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
His great-nephew Bill Newton Dunn, 84, said his wife had found the letters, "a precious family archive", in a box secured with a pink ribbon.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
And she’s recently cut the ribbon on Café do Capa, an open-air capybara-themed stop along the cycling path.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Four larger cylinders sat on a rotating carousel, while four smaller masses were suspended inside on a copper-beryllium ribbon about as thick as a human hair.
From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026
I untied my string tie, twining the black silk ribbon around my fingers.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Chilled sweet peas and ribbons of summer zucchini are tossed separately with olive oil, more lemon juice and handfuls of fresh herbs.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
A textile installation of colorful ribbons by the Argentine artist Manuel Ameztoy hangs from the ceilings of the long corridors and the reception area.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
They should streak the salad lightly, creating ribbons of deeper gold without disappearing entirely.
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2026
Yellow ribbons are tied around mailboxes and roadside library posts.
From Slate ● Feb. 23, 2026
My eyes ran hungrily over the well-pressed uniform with its rows of brilliant-colored battle ribbons.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Proceedings start in Jedburgh with the ribboned ball being thrown into a ruck of the two teams.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Light jazz played from unseen speakers in a grassy landscape ribboned with walkways and dotted with drought-tolerant shrubbery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2025
For decades, advocates for new national institutions have fought to secure a position on the mall, where land is limited and often ribboned with rules that forbid construction.
From New York Times ● Oct. 27, 2022
But Keane — shirtless, in blue trunks, ribboned red scars lining his neck and a shoulder that hasn’t fully recovered — stayed in control, even when stepping to the nose of the board.
From Washington Post ● May 13, 2022
Friedrick reaches out and rights a tiny ballerina that has fallen sideways, returning her to balance on her ribboned slippers.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
What, didn’t you see all the New Year’s Eve eulogies sliding across your feed like tears ribboning down millions of teenagers’ cheeks?
From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2026
While the two roads ribboning away from the intersection were easily identifiable, everything else in the frame had changed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
Every single part of the dress is made out of duct tape, including its striped ribboning, embroidered flowers, flowy sleeves and intricate lacework.
From Fox News ● Jul. 23, 2021
“So if you’re in a pet shop, do not call her,” Venus said, her arms and legs ribboning out like plains-state freeways from her shorts and tank top.
From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2019
Before I knew it, I was out the door, back in the lobby, following the ribboning patterns in the carpeting as they led me toward the front door.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
