ribby
UK/ˈɹɪbi/
ribby adjective: pertaining to or having ribs; ribbed.
Adjective
ribby (comparative ribbier, superlative ribbiest)
- Pertaining to or having ribs; ribbed.
- In bony, ribby regions of the earth, where at the base of high broken cliffs masses of rock lie strewn in fantastic groupings upon the plain, you will often discover images as of the petrified forms of the Leviathan partly merged in grass, which of a windy day breaks against them in a surf of green...1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick
- Fendi's smasheroo short, short fur belted over shorts, worn with ribby stockings, ribbier over-the-knee socks, Oxford ties.1971, Vogue - Volume 158
- Specifically, so thin as to have prominent ribs; emaciated.
- He grew thin and ribby, with narrow shoulders and a breast like a plucked chicken.1982, TC Boyle, Water Music, Penguin, published 2006, page 215
- Shabby, in poor condition.
- Darbishire glanced at the first manuscript. "This one’s pretty ribby for a kick-off. It’s Binns’ famous effort.”1952, Anthony Buckeridge, Jennings and Darbishire
Proper noun capitalized: Ribby
Ribby
- A settlement in Ribby-with-Wrea parish, Fylde borough, Lancashire, England (OS grid ref SD4031).
Forms of ribby
| comparative | ribbier |
|---|---|
| superlative | ribbiest |
Origin of ribby
From rib + -y.
Words that rhyme with ribby
Questions about ribby
- What does ribby mean?
- Ribby means pertaining to or having ribs; ribbed.
- What part of speech is ribby?
- Ribby can be an adjective or a proper noun.
- How do you pronounce ribby?
- Ribby is pronounced /ˈɹɪbi/ (UK).
Words near ribby in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: ribby (page history and authors); Ribby (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “ribby.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/ribby. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.