I. rib 1 /rɪb/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ]
1 . one of the 12 pairs of curved bones that surround your chest:
She was taken to hospital with a broken arm and ribs.
He was punched and kicked in the ribs.
2 . a piece of meat that includes an animal’s rib:
a rib of beef
barbecued ribs
⇨ ↑ spare ribs
3 . a curved piece of wood, metal etc that is used as part of the structure of something such as a boat or building
II. rib 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle ribbed , present participle ribbing ) [transitive]
informal to make jokes and laugh at someone so that you embarrass them, but in a friendly way SYN tease