Other forms: ribbons
A ribbon is a narrow strip of fabric used for tying or trimming. Tie a ribbon, a blue ribbon, ribbon in her hair.
Coloured ribbons worn as badges are a modern convention with a long tail — the red one for HIV awareness in 1991 started it, and there are now dozens. A blue riband is the prize for the best. Note that the origin of the word is unknown, though a Germanic compound ending in band is likely.
1nounribbonA narrow strip of fabric used for tying or trimming.
“She tied a red ribbon around the present.”
ribbon is a strip of fabric.
Old French riban is of unknown origin, probably a Germanic compound whose second element is related to band.
Old French
riban
Middle English
riban
English, today
ribbon
From Middle English riban, ryban, ryband, from Old French riban, ruban (> modern French ruban), of unknown origin. Likely from a gem compound whose second element is cognate with English band. Compare Middle Dutch ringhband (“necklace”) literally “ring-band”.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA