Ribbons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A slender strip of material typically employed for decorative purposes or fastening items exists in various materials and colors, often signifying different movements when used in campaigns
2. A narrow band of fabric used mainly for decoration or to tie things together
3. A thin strip of cloth often used to add adornment or secure objects

Etymology: "Ribbons" is simply the plural of "ribbon," so its story is the story of the singular. The word came into Middle English as "riban" or "ryban," borrowed from Old French "riban" or "ruban," the form that survives in modern French as "ruban." Its exact origin is uncertain, but it is likely a Germanic compound whose second element is related to English "band," so the word's core idea is a band of material. A closely matching Middle Dutch term, "ringhband," meant "necklace," literally a "ring-band." English once had its own word for this object. Old English "þwǣle" meant "strip" or "ribbon," but the French borrowing displaced it, and the native term disappeared from everyday use.

Synonyms: strips, bands, sashes, tapes, cords