rib

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Anatomy One of a series of long curved bones occurring in 12 pairs in humans and extending from the spine to or toward the sternum.
2. n. Anatomy A similar bone in most vertebrates.
3. n. A part or piece similar to a rib and serving to shape or support: the rib of an umbrella.
4. n. A cut of meat enclosing one or more rib bones.
5. n. Nautical One of many curved members attached to a boat or ship's keel and extending upward and outward to form the framework of the hull.
6. n. One of many transverse pieces that provide an airplane wing with shape and strength.
7. n. Architecture A long, narrow, usually arched member projecting from the surface of a structure, especially such a member separating the webs of a vault.
8. n. A raised ridge or wale in knitted material or in cloth.
9. n. Botany The main vein or any of the prominent veins of a leaf or other plant organ.
10. n. Slang A teasing remark or action; a joke.
11. v. To shape, support, or provide with a rib or ribs.
12. v. To make with ridges or raised markings.
13. v. Informal To tease or make fun of. See Synonyms at banter.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In anatomy and zoology, a costa; a pleurapophysis, with or without a hemapophysis; the pleurapophysial element of a vertebra, of whatever size, shape, or mode of connection with a vertebra. In ordinary language the term rib is restricted to one of the series of long slender bones which are movably articulated with or entirely disconnected from the vertebræ, occur in pairs, and extend to or toward the sternum or middle ventral line of the body. In many vertebrates such ribs are characteristic of or confined to the thoracic or dorsal region, and form, together with the corresponding vertebræ and with the sternum, a kind of bony cage for the thoracic viscera—the chest or thorax. Such ribs are called thoracic or dorsal, and are often the only free ribs an animal may possess, as is usually the case in mammals. In man there are twelve pairs of such ribs. The first of these articulates with the upper part of the side of the body of the first dorsal vertebra; the second to the ninth inclusive articulate at an intervertebral space, and consequently with two vertebræ apiece; the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth articulate with the single vertebra to which they correspond. The first to the tenth ribs articulate by their heads with bodies of vertebræ as above stated, and also by their shoulders with transverse processes, which latter articulations are lacking to the eleventh and twelfth ribs. The first seven ribs reach the sternum by means of costal cartilages, and are called true ribs; the last five ribs do not, and are called false ribs: of these last the first three join one another by means of their costal cartilages, while the last two are entirely free or “floating” at their ends. Only the bony part of a rib is a pleurapophysis; the gristly part, or costal cartilage, is a hemapophysis. Parts of a bony rib commonly distinguished are the head or capitulum, the neck or cervix, the shoulder or tuberculum, and the shaft. Most of the ribs are not only curved as a whole, but also somewhat bent at a point called the angle, and, moreover, twisted on their own axis. In man there are occasionally supernumerary cervical or lumbar ribs of ordinary character, that are extended from and freely jointed to their vertebræ; and all the human cervical vertebræ have rudimentary ribs ankylosed with their respective vertebræ, represented by that part of the transverse process which bounds the vertebrarterial foramen in front. Mammals have frequently more or fewer than twelve pairs of thoracic ribs. Ribs occurring in any part of the vertebral column are named from that port: as, cervical, thoracic or dorsal, dorsolumbar, lumbar, or sacral ribs. In birds and reptiles the number of ribs is extremely variable, and their situation may extend from head to tail. Frequently they are jointed in the middle, or at the point where in a mammal the bony part joins the cartilaginous. Some of them may be free or floating at the vertebral as well as at the sternal end. Some ribs in birds bear peculiar splint-bones called uncinate processes. (See cut under epipleura.) In chelonians the ribs are fixed, and consolidated with broad plate-like dermal bones to form the carapace. The greatest number of ribs is found in some serpents, which have more than two hundred pairs. In some fishes, ribs are apparently doubled in number by forking; this is the principal reason why the bones of a shad, for example, seem so numerous. See also cuts under carapace and skeleton.
2. n. That which resembles a rib in use, position, etc.; a strip, band, or piece of anything when used as a support, or as a member of a framework or skeleton.
3. n. Specifically— Some part or organ of an animal like or likened to a rib; a costate or costiform process; a long narrow thickening of a surface; a ridge; a strip or stripe: as, one of the veins or nerves of an insect's wing; one of a set or series of parallel or radiating ridges on a shell; one of the ciliated rays or ctenophores of a ctenophoran.
4. n. In ship-building, one of the bent timber or metallic bars which spring from the keel, and form or strengthen the side of the ship.
5. n. In architecture: In vaulting, a plain or variously molded and sculptured arch, properly, supporting a vault, or, in combination with other ribs, the filling of a groined vault. In pointed vaults the groins typically rest upon or are covered by ribs; and secondary ribs connecting the main ribs, especially in late and less pure designs, are sometimes applied, usually as a mere decoration, to the plain surfaces of the vaulting-cells. The three main vaulting-ribs are designated as (α) groin-ribs or ogives, (β) doubleaux, and (γ) formerets. (See plan under arc.) Ribs upon the surfaces of the cells are known as surface-ribs. The groin-rib or ogive is also called the diagonal rib, because it occupies the diagonal of the plan of a quadripartite vault. See arch and arc.
6. n. An arch-formed piece of timber for supporting the lath-and-plaster work of pseudo-domes, vaults, etc.
7. n. In coalmining, a narrow strip or block of solid coal left to support the workings.
8. n. One of the curved extension rods on which the cover of an umbrella is stretched.
9. n. In botany: One of the principal vascular bundles, otherwise called nerves or veins, into which the primary bundle divides on entering the blade to form the framework of a leaf, commonly salient on its lower surface; a primary nerve: contrasted with vein and veinlet, the branches to which it gives origin. See midrib and nervation. A prominent line on the surface of some other organ, as the fruit.
10. n. In cloth or knitted work, a ridge or stripe rising from the groundwork of the material, as in corduroy.
11. n. In bookbinding, one of the ridges on the back of a book, which serve for covering the tapes and for ornament.
12. n. One of the narrow tracks or ways of iron in which the bed of a printing-press slides to and from impression.
13. n. In machinery, an angle-plate cast between two other plates, to brace and strengthen them, as between the sole and wall-plate of a bracket.
14. n. In a violin or similar instrument, one of the curved sides of the body, separating the belly from the back.
15. n. In gun-making, either of the longitudinally extending upper or lower projections of the metal which join the barrels of a double-barreled gun, and which in fine guns are often ornamented or of ornamental shape. The upper rib is called the top rib; the lower, the bottom rib.
16. n. A piece of meat containing one or more ribs; a rib-piece: as, a rib of beef.
17. n. A wife: in allusion to Eve, who, according to the account in Genesis, was formed out of one of Adam's ribs.
18. n. A strip; a band or ribbon; a long and narrow piece of anything.
19. To furnish with ribs; strengthen or support by ribs: as, to rib a ship.
20. To form into ribs or ridges; mark with alternate channels and projecting lines; ridge: as, to rib a field by plowing; to rib cloth.
21. To inclose as with ribs; shut in; confine.
22. n. Hound's-tongue.
23. n. Costmary.
24. n. Water-cress.
25. To dress (flax); ripple.
26. n. An instrument for cleaning flax.
27. n. In ceramics, a small piece of wood, leather, or calabash with a straight or curved profile, and usually having a hole in the center for the thumb and finger, used to smooth the surface of a vessel while it is revolving on the wheel. Also called profile or smoother.
28. n. An abbreviation of Royal Institute of British Architects.

Wiktionary

1. n. 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
2. n. A part or piece, similar to a rib, and serving to shape or support something
3. n. A cut of meat enclosing one or more rib bones
4. n. Any of several curved members attached to a ship's keel and extending upward and outward to form the framework of the hull
5. n. Any of several transverse pieces that provide an aircraft wing with shape and strength
6. n. A long, narrow, usually arched member projecting from the surface of a structure, especially such a member separating the webs of a vault
7. n. A raised ridge in knitted material or in cloth
8. n. The main, or any of the prominent veins of a leaf
9. n. A teasing joke
10. n. A single strand of hair.
11. n. A stalk of celery.
12. v. To shape, support, or provide something with a rib or ribs
13. v. To tease or make fun of someone

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. One of the curved bones attached to the vertebral column and supporting the lateral walls of the thorax.
2. n. That which resembles a rib in form or use.
3. n. One of the timbers, or bars of iron or steel, that branch outward and upward from the keel, to support the skin or planking, and give shape and strength to the vessel.
4. n. A ridge, fin, or wing, as on a plate, cylinder, beam, etc., to strengthen or stiffen it.
5. n. One of the rods on which the cover of an umbrella is extended.
6. n. A prominent line or ridge, as in cloth.
7. n. A longitudinal strip of metal uniting the barrels of a double-barreled gun.
8. n. The chief nerve, or one of the chief nerves, of a leaf.
9. n. Any longitudinal ridge in a plant.
10. n. In Gothic vaulting, one of the primary members of the vault. These are strong arches, meeting and crossing one another, dividing the whole space into triangles, which are then filled by vaulted construction of lighter material. Hence, an imitation of one of these in wood, plaster, or the like.
11. n. A projecting mold, or group of moldings, forming with others a pattern, as on a ceiling, ornamental door, or the like.
12. n. Solid coal on the side of a gallery; solid ore in a vein.
13. n. An elongated pillar of ore or coal left as a support.
14. n. A wife; -- in allusion to Eve, as made out of Adam's rib.
15. v. To furnish with ribs; to form with rising lines and channels.
16. v. To inclose, as with ribs, and protect; to shut in.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. support resembling the rib of an animal
2. v. form vertical ribs by knitting
3. v. subject to laughter or ridicule
4. n. a riblike supporting or strengthening part of an animal or plant
5. n. a projecting molding on the underside of a vault or ceiling; may be ornamental or structural
6. n. a teasing remark
7. n. any of the 12 pairs of curved arches of bone extending from the spine to or toward the sternum in humans (and similar bones in most vertebrates)
8. n. cut of meat including one or more ribs