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ribbon

ribbon

154 1.0
A long narrow strip of fabric used for tying, decorating, or carrying ink in machines
  • noun
  • /ˈrɪbən/
translation icon : cinta
  • No matter what dress she wore, one of her ribbons was the right color.
  • tie a ribbon
  • silk ribbon
  • hair ribbons

It can be tempting to want to hold those silk ribbons tight in your hands.

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Examples

  • The dress was adorned with a silky ribbon that added an elegant touch.

  • She decorated the gift box with a beautiful ribbon to make it look special.

  • "Hold still while I tie it back with a ribbon, anyway," my mother says.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • All tied up with a big red ribbon.

  • I tied the ribbon here so I wouldn't forget the way in.

  • There was also a collection of pink ribbons in the same location.

    Academic text (2004)
  • From here, we can see a narrow ribbon of brown smoke escape from the chimney pipe.

    Academic text (2007)
  • All wrapped up in tissue paper, with pink ribbons around it.

  • He carefully chose a bright ribbon to tie around the bouquet of flowers.

Synonyms

string
vsribbon
222 1.0

A thin cord used to tie or fasten things

is fabric based and more decorative than this purely functional cord
strip
vsribbon
207 3.0

A long narrow piece of material like wood or metal

is specifically fabric and used for tying, decorating, or in machines
cord
vsribbon
176 1.0

A thin, flexible length of twisted fibers used for tying things

is usually flatter and often used for decoration as well as function
ribband
vsribbon
  • Archaic
9.9

A small strip of cloth used to decorate or to show that someone won

is broader and also used for tying, machinery, or plain decoration

Compounds

13 3.1

A prize given for first place in a contest

5 5.4

Of very high quality and chosen as the best

2 6.1

An independent group of respected experts who study a public problem and give advice

1 5.1

A long narrow strip of fabric covered with ink used in a typewriter to print letters on paper

1 5.9

A group of respected experts chosen to study an important public problem and give advice

8.1

A group of chosen people with special knowledge who decide a difficult court case

7.4

Building houses in a long narrow line along a road outside a town

A plant with long thin leaves like ribbons that grows in shady damp places

7.7

A grass that lives for many years with broad striped leaves that grows in wet places like ponds and ditches

6.5

A thin North American snake with a yellow stripe often near water

A water plant with long narrow leaves that grows in shallow water

ribbon tree
  • New Zealand
9.9

A New Zealand tree whose inner bark makes a strong fiber like flax

A long soft sea animal that can stretch and reach prey with a thin mouth tube

A thin North American snake with yellow or red stripes that is not poisonous and often lives near water

How Wide

belt
642 1.0
sash
17 4.0
ribbon
154 1.0
string
222 1.0

Surface Forms

ribbon singular
ribbons plural

Etymology

Ribbon comes from old French ruban, which meant a narrow 'strip' or 'band' of cloth. So a printer or typewriter ribbon is simply a long, thin band that holds ink, and the name describes its shape and use.