Ribes ri·bes uncommon noun 1. a flowering shrub bearing currants or gooseberries; native to northern hemisphere Synonymsgenus Ribes Related words Word family Ribes sanguineumRibes grossulariaRibes nigrumRibes rubrumRibes sativumRibes uva-crispa Broader terms plant genus Parts Grossulariaceae Part of currantred currantblack currantwhite currantwinter currantgooseberry WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.