rib

Meanings

Noun

• Any of a series of long curved bones occurring in 12 pairs in humans and other animals and extending from the spine to or toward the sternum.
• A part or piece, similar to a rib, and serving to shape or support something.
• A cut of meat enclosing one or more rib bones.
• Any of several curved members attached to a ship's keel and extending upward and outward to form the framework of the hull.
• Any of several transverse pieces that provide an aircraft wing with shape and strength.
• A long, narrow, usually arched member projecting from the surface of a structure, especially such a member separating the webs of a vault
• A raised ridge in knitted material or in cloth.
• The main, or any of the prominent veins of a leaf.
• A teasing joke.
• A single strand of hair.
• A stalk of celery.
• A wife or woman.
• Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale (species)).
• Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita).
• Watercress (Nasturtium officinale).

Verb

• To shape, support, or provide something with a rib or ribs.
• To tease or make fun of someone in a good-natured way.
• To enclose, as if with ribs, and protect; to shut in.
• To leave strips of undisturbed ground between the furrows in ploughing (land).

Origin

• From Middle English rib, ribbe, from Old English ribb, from Proto-West Germanic *ribi, from Proto-Germanic *ribją, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- ("arch, ceiling, cover").
• Cognate with Dutch rib ("rib"), Norwegian ribbe ("sparerib"), Norwegian ribben ("rib"), Low German ribbe ("rib"), German Rippe ("rib"), Old Norse rif ("rib, reef"), Serbo-Croatian rèbro ("rib").
• In reference to the creation of Eve from Adam's rib in the Bible.
• From Middle English ribbe, from Old English ribbe.