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   rib

   /rɪb/

   noun

   • 1. each of a series of slender curved bones articulated in pairs to the spine (twelve pairs in humans), protecting the thoracic cavity and its organs: "he had several broken ribs"
   • ▪ a rib of an animal with meat adhering to it used as food; a joint consisting of animal ribs: "a lunch of ribs, wings, and blueberry pie"
   • 2. a long raised piece of strengthening or supporting material.
   • ▪ a curved member supporting a vault or defining its form: "stone is used only for ribs, piers, and windows"
   • ▪ a curved transverse strut of metal or timber in a ship, extending up from the keel and forming part of the framework of the hull: "the hull was stiffened with 26 ribs"
   • ▪ each of the curved pieces of wood forming the body of a lute or the sides of a violin.
   • ▪ each of the hinged rods supporting the fabric of an umbrella.
   • ▪ a structural member in an aerofoil, extending back from the leading edge and serving to define the contour of the aerofoil.
   • ▪ a ridge of rock or land: "the final rib gives pleasant climbing"
   • 3. a vein of a leaf or an insect's wing: "a spinach-type leaf with red ribs"
   • 4. a combination of alternate plain and purl stitches producing a ridged, slightly elastic fabric: "knit twenty rows of rib"

   verb

   • 1. mark with or form into ridges: "the road was ribbed with furrows of slush"
   • ▪ provide with ribs: "the aisle vaults are lower, but are also ribbed and painted"
   • 2. tease good-naturedly: informal "the first time I appeared in the outfit I was ribbed mercilessly"

   Word Origin Old Englishrib, ribb (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch rib(be) and German Rippe. Sense 1 of the verb dates from the mid 16th century; the sense ‘tease’ was originally a US slang usage meaning ‘to fool, dupe’ (1930s).

   Derivatives

   • 1. ribless adjective
   • 2. riblike adjective

   Scrabble Points: 5

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • B

     3

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