ribbon

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”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪbən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪbən

ribbon (countable and uncountable, plural ribbons)

1. A long, narrow strip of material used for decoration of clothing or the hair or gift wrapping.
2. An awareness ribbon.
   • 2018 October 1, Olivia B. Waxman, “Wearing a Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness? Here's How Awareness Ribbons Became a Thing”, in Time‎:

     With Monday marking the beginning of October’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month observance, supporters will be donning their pink ribbons as a show of support for ongoing research for a cure.

3. An inked strip of material against which type is pressed to print letters in a typewriter or printer.
   • 2018, Mark J. P. Wolf, The Routledge Companion to Media Technology and Obsolescence:

     They were single-shift, frontstroke, typebar typewriters with four-bank QWERTY keyboards, inked by a ribbon.

4. A narrow strip or shred.

   a steel or magnesium ribbon

   sails torn to ribbons

   1. (cooking) In ice cream and similar confections, an ingredient (often chocolate, butterscotch, caramel, or fudge) added in a long narrow strip.
5. (shipbuilding) Alternative form of ribband
6. (nautical) A painted moulding on the side of a ship.
7. A watchspring.
8. A bandsaw.
9. (slang, dated, in the plural) Reins for a horse.
   • 1887, James Inglis, Our New Zealand Cousins:

     "Here, sir, hold the ribbons." This to me, throwing me the reins. Jack got down from his perch, and after a little search in the bush was rewarded by the capture of the poor dazed pigeon, who was consigned to safe custody in the boot.

10. (heraldry) A bearing similar to the bend, but only one eighth as wide.
11. (spinning) A sliver.
12. (journalism) A subheadline presented above its parent headline.
13. (computing, graphical user interface) A toolbar that incorporates tabs and menus.

• → Japanese: リボン (ribon)
• → Korean: 리본 (ribon)

• riband

ribbon (third-person singular simple present ribbons, present participle ribboning, simple past and past participle ribboned)

1. (transitive) To decorate with ribbon.

   Synonym: beribbon

2. (transitive) To stripe or streak.

• Robbin, robbin