spareribs

American

[spair-ribz] / ˈspɛərˌrɪbz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

a cut of meat from the rib section, especially of pork or beef, with some meat adhering to the bones.
a dish of this meat, usually baked, roasted, or barbecued with a pungent sauce.

Etymology

Origin of spareribs

1590–1600; transposed variant of earlier ribspare < Middle Low German ribbespēr rib cut; compare obsolete spare a cut, slice

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.

St. Louis-style ribs are spareribs with their rib tips removed, so you can use them interchangeably with baby backs in this recipe with no adjustments needed.

From Washington Post • Jul. 8, 2022

Popular add-ins include boiled and sliced chicken, braised duck, Chinese sausage, spareribs, mushrooms and other vegetables.

From Salon • Aug. 5, 2021

“It was Americanized Thai. My dad’s version of Thai barbecue spareribs was really just barbecue sauce blended with pineapple.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2018

Smoked spareribs are fussed over a little more.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 25, 2018

That year they had spareribs and chitlins and pan scrapple.

From "Sounder" by William H. Armstrong

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023