ribbon

[ rib-uhn ]

/ ˈrɪb ən /

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See synonyms for: ribbon / ribboned / ribboning / ribbons on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

material in such strips.

anything resembling or suggesting a ribbon or woven band.

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.

a strip of material, as satin or rayon, being or representing a medal or similar decoration, especially a military one: an overseas ribbon.

ribbons,

torn or ragged strips; shreds: clothes torn to ribbons.
reins for driving.

a long, thin flexible band of metal, as for a spring, a band saw, or a tapeline.

Also riband, ribband. Also called ledger, ledger board, ribbon strip, ribbon board .Carpentry. a thin horizontal piece attached to studding to support the ends of joists.

Architecture. came².

Also riband, ribband. Nautical. a distinctive narrow band or stripe painted along the exterior of a hull.

Shipbuilding. ribband¹ (def. 1).

verb (used with object)

to adorn with ribbon.

to mark with something suggesting ribbon.

to separate into ribbonlike strips.

verb (used without object)

to form in ribbonlike strips.

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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 band²

OTHER WORDS FROM ribbon

rib·bon·like, rib·bon·y, adjectiveun·rib·boned, adjective

Words nearby ribbon

ribbed-knit, ribbed vault, Ribbentrop, ribbing, Ribble, ribbon, ribbon copy, ribbon development, ribbonfish, ribbon lightning, ribbon microphone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ribbon in a sentence

He was always knocking the ribbon out, and I was putting it always in.
Making a Killing With Jim Cramer|Eugene Robinson|February 1, 2021|Ozy
Display tarps, marking ribbon, or your blaze-orange hunting vest.
How to survive three days in the wild|By Keith McCafferty/Field & Stream|January 26, 2021|Popular-Science
The Office Superstore opened its first store in Brighton, Massachusetts in 1986, less than a year after the idea came to founder, Tom Stemberg, who struggled to get a replacement ribbon for his typewriter over the July 4th weekend.
Best office chair: Get comfy, stay productive with our office furniture picks|PopSci Commerce Team|January 11, 2021|Popular-Science
“In here would be total destruction,” Soreng said, pointing to woods between the ribbons and the bridge.
Biologists say a wider American Legion Bridge would destroy critical research site|Katherine Shaver|December 11, 2020|Washington Post

Bringing fabric into a tree, with ribbon, really can help provide contrast.
Seven ways to elevate your holiday decorating, according to the pros at Biltmore|Virginia Brown|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
He was one of living symbols of “White Ribbon Revolution” of 2012, always in black, slim, shaved, almost a monk.
Behind Bars for the Holidays: 11 Political Prisoners We Want to See Free In 2015|Movements.Org|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At various times, we had spoken about honors--Hitchcock had been awarded the Légion d'Honneur and wore a ribbon in his lapel.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But it was a real gong and it came with a nice ribbon and a letter from the Queen.
I Saw Nuclear Armageddon Sitting on My Desk|Clive Irving|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the WTC ribbon is from the attack on 9/11, which saw Baugh race to the scene after the first plane struck.
The President and the Tow Truck Driver|Michael Daly|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As a cook, after college, I drank Pabst Blue Ribbon along with the rest of the team.
Wine Snobs, There’s a Beer for You|Jordan Salcito|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The badge of the order was a ribbon, striped black, white and yellow, and the device something like an icicle.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Henrietta had been dressed in a clean slip and the smartest hair ribbon she owned.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose
For young ladies, at home, ribbon or velvet are the most suitable materials for a head-dress.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
She is coming, my children—mes enfants, as Tommy will say when he gets his job as ribbon starcher to the French ambassador.
First Plays|A. A. Milne
The veil had slipped and might easily have been mistaken for a ribbon confining the queue at the base of the head.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for ribbon

ribbon

/ (ˈrɪbən) /

noun

a narrow strip of fine material, esp silk, used for trimming, tying, etc

something resembling a ribbon; a long stripa ribbon of land

a long thin flexible band of metal used as a graduated measure, spring, etc

a long narrow strip of ink-impregnated cloth for making the impression of type characters on paper in a typewriter or similar device

(plural) ragged strips or shreds (esp in the phrase torn to ribbons)

a small strip of coloured cloth signifying membership of an order or award of military decoration, prize, or other distinction

a small, usually looped, strip of coloured cloth worn to signify support for a charity or causea red AIDS ribbon

verb (tr)

to adorn with a ribbon or ribbons

to mark with narrow ribbon-like marks

to reduce to ribbons; tear into strips

Derived forms of ribbon

ribbon-like or ribbony, adjective

Word Origin for ribbon

C14 ryban, from Old French riban, apparently of Germanic origin; probably related to ring 1, band ²

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

ribbon

Origin of ribbon

OTHER WORDS FROM ribbon

Words nearby ribbon

Words related to ribbon

How to use ribbon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ribbon

Derived forms of ribbon

Word Origin for ribbon