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blue ribbon

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noun
the highest award or distinction, as the first prize in a contest: His entry at the state fair won a blue ribbon.
a blue ribbon worn as a badge of honor, especially by members of the Order of the Garter of the British knighthood.
(initial capital letters)Also British, Blue Ribband. (formerly) a prize awarded to an ocean liner making the fastest recorded trip across the Atlantic Ocean between Ambrose Lightship and Bishop Rock.
a badge used by some temperance organizations to indicate a pledge of abstinence from alcohol.
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Origin of blue ribbon

First recorded in 1645–55

Other definitions for blue ribbon (2 of 2)

blue-ribbon
[ bloo-rib-uhn ]
/ ˈbluˈrɪb ən /

adjective
of superior quality or prominence; first-rate; specially selected: a blue-ribbon committee of fund-raisers.

Origin of blue-ribbon

First recorded in 1925–30; adj. use of blue ribbon
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use blue ribbon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for blue ribbon

blue ribbon

noun
(in Britain) a badge of blue silk worn by members of the Order of the Garter
a badge awarded as the first prize in a competition
US a badge worn by a member of a temperance society
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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