Link Centre Dictionary

ribbon

rib·bon

UK/ˈɹɪbən/ US/ˈrɪbʌn/ fairly common slang

noun

1.

any long object resembling a thin line

  • “a mere ribbon of land”
  • “the lighted ribbon of traffic”
  • “from the air the road was a gray thread”
  • “a thread of smoke climbed upward”
Synonyms
2.
3.

a long strip of inked material for making characters on paper with a typewriter

Synonyms
4.

notion consisting of a narrow strip of fine material used for trimming

Origin

From Middle English riban, ryban, ryband, from Old French riban, ruban ( > modern French ruban), of uncertain origin. Likely from a Germanic compound whose second element is cognate with English band. Compare Middle Dutch ringhband (“necklace”, literally “ring-band”).

Phrases

  • AIDS ribbon
  • awareness ribbon
  • blue ribbon
  • cut to ribbons
  • frosted ribbon loaf
  • frosted ribbon sandwich
  • green ribbon
  • Local Ribbon of Cold Clouds

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.