Dibs

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /dɪbz/

Definitions

1. A claim or right to something, typically made informally among friends or peers
2. A declaration used to indicate someone's desire to have or use an item
3. An informal expression signifying priority or ownership over a certain possession or opportunity

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "dibs" is that nobody is quite sure where it came from. It has been in use since the early 19th century, but the likeliest explanation points to "dibstones," small counters used in a game of the same name, which players would claim by setting them aside. A claim on a turn or a share of something was staked in much the same way, which fits the modern sense of calling dibs on a seat or a slice of cake. Other theories exist. Some link it to "dib," meaning to tap, or to a northern English word "dip," for a small hollow in the ground. Another suggests it is a shortened form of "divide." None of these has won out decisively, so the origin remains unsettled.

Synonyms: claim, right, reservation, entitlement, ownership