rib

rib — noun

1. each of the long, curved bones that wrap around your upper body, creating a prot

1.nounA2
Definition

each of the long, curved bones that wrap around your upper body, creating a protective cage for the heart and lungs.

Example

Alessia broke two ribs when she fell off her bicycle and landed hard on the pavement.

collocation: break a rib / broken rib

The doctor said the cracked rib would heal within six weeks if she avoided heavy lifting.

collocation: cracked rib / broken rib

Common collocations
  • broken rib
  • cracked rib
  • fractured rib
  • puncture a rib
  • protect the ribs

Grammar Patterns

plural: ribs

Usage Note

Subject is typically a person or animal; frequently occurs in phrases like 'broken rib' or 'cracked rib' in medical contexts. 'Rib' already means the bone, so 'rib bone' is redundant.

Common Mistakes

He broke his rib bone in the accident.
He broke his rib in the accident.
'rib' already refers to the bone, so 'rib bone' is unnecessary.
She felt pain in her ribcage bone.
She felt pain in her ribcage.
use 'ribcage' for the whole structure, not 'ribcage bone'.

2. meat taken from the rib section of an animal, often sold with the bone still in

2.nounB1
Definition

meat taken from the rib section of an animal, often sold with the bone still in and cooked as a dish.

Example

Minh ordered a rack of ribs with barbecue sauce at the new smokehouse near campus.

collocation: rack of ribs

Manuela slowly cooked the ribs until the meat fell off the bones.

Common collocations
  • rack of ribs
  • pork ribs
  • beef ribs
  • barbecue ribs
  • spare ribs
  • short ribs
Synonyms
  • spare rib

    specifically refers to pork ribs from the belly side, common in Chinese cuisine

  • short rib

    a beef cut from the plate/primal rib area, often braised

  • prime rib

    a large roasted beef cut from the rib section, served boneless or bone-in

Grammar Patterns

rack of ribs

Usage Note

Often used in the plural ('ribs') as a countable noun for individual pieces, or in the phrase 'rack of ribs' for a connected set. 'Prime rib' refers to a specific cut of beef from the rib section.

Common Mistakes

I ate a rib meat for dinner.
I ate ribs for dinner.
the plural 'ribs' is the standard way to refer to this as a dish.

3. a curved piece that helps give shape and strength to a ship, roof, umbrella, or

3.nounB2
Definition

a curved piece that helps give shape and strength to a ship, roof, umbrella, or aircraft wing.

Example

The boat's wooden ribs were weakened by years of salty water.

collocation: rib of a boat

Two metal ribs of the umbrella snapped in the strong wind.

Common collocations
  • wooden ribs
  • metal ribs
  • steel ribs
  • rib of a ship
  • rib of a roof
  • rib of an umbrella
Synonyms
  • beam

    a long, sturdy horizontal support, not typically curved like a rib

  • strut

    a rod or bar that resists compression, functional rather than structural in the same way

  • spoke

    a rod in a wheel, different frame shape and function

Grammar Patterns

rib of [structure]

Usage Note

Frequently passive in construction contexts ('the frame is ribbed with steel'). The term is used across shipbuilding, architecture, and aeronautics. Objects are typically man-made structures.

4. a stretchy pattern in knitting made by alternating two different stitches to cre

4.nounB1
Definition

a stretchy pattern in knitting made by alternating two different stitches to create raised vertical lines, often used on cuffs and edges.

Example

Anna learned to knit a rib pattern on her first scarf to make the edges stretchy and neat.

collocation: knit a rib pattern

The rib at the bottom of the sweater kept its shape well even after many washes.

Common collocations
  • rib stitch
  • 2-by-2 rib
  • 1-by-1 rib
  • rib pattern
  • knit in rib
  • ribbing on cuffs
Synonyms
  • ribbing

    the same concept, often used interchangeably; 'ribbing' can also refer to the action of knitting ribs

  • rib stitch

    the specific stitch technique that creates the rib pattern

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

rib stitch

knit in rib

Usage Note

Common in knitting instructions as 'rib stitch' or 'ribbing'. The '2-by-2 rib' means knit 2, purl 2 repeated. Often used for edges (cuffs, necklines, hems) because the fabric is elastic and lies flat.

Common Mistakes

I knitted a rib stitch pattern on the collarbone.
I knitted a rib stitch pattern on the collar.
'collar' is the correct English term for the neck edge of a garment; 'collarbone' is a body part.

5. a playful or slightly critical comment made about someone in a way that is meant

5.nounC1
Definition

a playful or slightly critical comment made about someone in a way that is meant to be funny, not unkind.

Example

Maeve took the rib about her French accent in good humour.

Anthony's friends threw a few gentle ribs his way during dinner.

collocation: gentle rib / good-natured rib

Common collocations
  • gentle rib
  • good-natured rib
  • throw a rib
  • take a rib
Synonyms
  • joke

    more general; a joke can be about anyone or anything, not necessarily directed at someone present

  • dig

    a slightly sharper, more pointed comment, closer to a criticism than a playful rib

  • tease

    a broader term including both the verbal remark and the action of making it

Usage Note

Typically informal and used in British English. Frequently appears in phrases like 'a gentle rib' or 'good-natured rib'. Less common than the verb sense 'to rib someone'. Often in plural ('ribs').

Idioms

dig someone in the ribs

idiom

to push someone gently with your finger or elbow, usually in their side, to get their attention or to share a private joke.

Christopher dug Alessia in the ribs when the professor made a funny mistake.

Hiro dug his brother in the ribs and whispered, 'Look who just walked in.'

stick to your ribs

idiom

(of food) to be heavy and filling, leaving you feeling full for a long time.

This thick bean soup really sticks to your ribs on a cold winter day.

Manuela's oatmeal porridge sticks to your ribs better than toast.

dig somebody in the ribs

idiom

To push someone lightly with a finger or elbow, usually to get their attention.

Maya dug Diego in the ribs to show him the funny sign.

Did you just dig me in the ribs? I was trying to listen.

rib — verb

Word family

  • ribbed
    adjectiveB2
  • ribbing
    nounB2
  • ribcage
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Rib', 'tease', 'kid', and 'mock' all involve making fun of someone, but they differ in tone and formality. 'Tease' is the most general and neutral — it can describe anything from gentle joking ('She teased him about his messy desk') to slightly sharper remarks. 'Rib' is always friendly and informal, used when a group of friends playfully points out each other's habits or mistakes; it implies a warm, shared camaraderie. 'Kid' is very informal and mostly American: 'I'm just kidding' or 'Are you kidding me?' signals that the remark is not serious. 'Mock' is the strongest and most negative — it means to imitate or speak about someone in a way that makes them look foolish or ridiculous, often in an unkind way ('The other kids mocked his accent'). Choose 'rib' when the tone is unmistakably warm; use 'mock' when the intent is hurtful; and use 'tease' for the broad middle ground.

teaserib ↗kid ↗mock ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • rack of ~
  • stick to your ~

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'rib' comes from Old English 'ribb', meaning a bone of the chest. This can be traced back to Proto-Germanic '*rebją' and further to the Proto-Indo-European root '*h₁rebʰ-', meaning 'to arch over or cover'. The bone sense dates back over a thousand years and has remained stable. The 'cut of meat' sense appeared in English around the 15th century. The structural sense (boat ribs, roof ribs) developed by analogy in the 16th–17th centuries. The knitting sense emerged in the 19th century because the pattern of raised lines resembles rows of ribs. The teasing sense ('to rib someone') is believed to come from the physical act of digging someone in the ribs to get their attention before making a joke — this usage first appeared in the early 20th century.