1. Cut of meat including one or more ribs
   "He ordered a rack of ribs at the steakhouse"
    
2. One of the curved bones attached to the spine that protect the chest cavity and organs; usually occurring in 12 pairs in humans
   "He fractured two ribs in the accident";
   - costa
    
3. A riblike supporting or strengthening part of an animal or plant
   "The ribs of the umbrella help maintain its shape"
    
4. Support resembling the rib of an animal
   "The ribs of the ship's hull provided structural strength"
    
5. A projecting moulding on the underside of a vault or ceiling; may be ornamental or structural
   "The Gothic cathedral's ceiling was adorned with intricate stone ribs"
    
6. [informal] A teasing remark
   "His good-natured rib about her cooking made everyone laugh"

1. [informal] Subject to laughter or ridicule
   "The satirists ribbed the plans for a new opera house";
   - ridicule, roast [informal], guy, blackguard, laugh at, jest at, make fun of, poke fun
    
2. Form vertical ribs by knitting
   "A ribbed sweater"
    
3. Form ridges or a rib-like pattern
   "the rock above and below was ribbed with sharp edges"
    
4. Form or support with an architectural rib or ribs
   "The Gothic cathedral was ribbed with stone arches"

Derived forms: ribs, ribbing, ribbed

Type of: anatomical structure, bemock [archaic], bodily structure, body structure, bone, comment, complex body part, cut, cut of meat, input, knit, mock, molding [N. Amer], moulding [Brit, Cdn], os[2], remark, structure, support

Part of: brolly [Brit, informal], bumbershoot [US, informal], craniate, gamp [Brit, informal], hull, umbrella, vertebrate, wing

Encyclopedia: Rib