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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rib, n. Also: ryb, ribb(e; reb. [ME and e.m.E. rib(b, OE rib, ribb.]

1. A rib, one of the curved bones articulated in pairs to the spine. a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 340.
With irne camis that scharp schare, Hyre rybbis ware mad bare Ib. xxxvii 259.
Ribbis ?1438 Alex. i 2563.
Amang the rybbes of his syde, The blude rushand he gart out glyde c1420 Wynt. i 81.
Out of his syde wes tane a ryb, Thar of … wes made … Eve 1456 Hay II 139/11.
Evill collis … oft tymis gerris the longis cleve to the ribbis of catalle and folk a1500 Lanc. 2728.
Ribys c1475 Wall. ii 408.
Our thourch his rybbis a seker straik drewe he ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 544.
Thai … scurgit him till the opnyng of his ribbis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 180.
Thy rigbane rattillis, and thy ribbis on raw c1500 Makc. MS v 34.
Quhen thow art ded & laid in layme And thi ribbis ar thi ruf tre a1568 Bann. MS 33b/36.
Thy ribbis routit, thi face ourspittit all 1612 Crim. Trials III 237.
Be streking of him with ane durk, vnder the schorte ribbis, vpwardis, on his left syde 1615 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 242.
I brack two ribbes in my syd 1662 Highland P. III 24.
He was shott underneath the short ribbs

b. The rib of an animal and the meat adhering to it, viewed as a source of food.For spar ribbis in quot. Boece, see Spar-rib n. 1533 Boece 73.
Quhen … ane ox [was] slane … assignit was … to the wricht the neris with twa schort ribbis, the remanent of the spar ribbis to the leich 1665 Old Ross-shire I 151.
We haid on Sunday to danner … back ribbs of mutton

c. Applied, after Genesis ii 21, to a man's wife. 1589 Lett. Jas. VI to Bruce 281.
Recomending me and my neu ribbe to your dailie prayeris 1627 Aberd. Council Lett. I 279.
I rest ever with my commendationes to ȝour self and ȝour rib

d. In extended use, put for the human body or trunk. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 992 (Asl.).
Thai cled [Him] with purpour silk … Syne raif it fra his ribbis richt rudlye

2. a. One of a number of strips of wood laid across supporting beams to form a latticed floor to the drying chamber of a corn- (also ? a malt-) kiln.For further detail, see note to Kill n.¹ 1. 1482 Peebles B. Rec. I 191.
Jhon … sall wphald the said [corn] kylle sufficiand in wall, rybbis and in ruf 1674 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 202.
Your stealling … of hay, bear and kill stiks to the quantitie of … fyve or six kill ribs and wther timber belonging to the kill 1675 Stirling Common Good 95.
3 dussone and four kilneribs

b. A horizontal timber or cross-member forming part of a roof or supporting a floor. 1520 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 174.
And Villiem … sal rest in the sydwal of pane and first and ane sufficient rest to his ribbis in the sydwal gif [etc.] 1531 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 58.
The sparris wrocht in garronis and ribbis to the plateforme and ledyn ruyff 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 343.
Gevin for xl treis ressavit … to be ribbis to the uvir loft in the munitioun hous 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 170.
Stratherne … Plenisit with plesand policie preclair Of touris and townis …; I ruggit thy ribbis quhill oft I gart them rair 1607 Old Dundee I 161.
And to have dormonds and ribbs imput therein [sc. his neighbour's side wall] 1676 Rothesay B. Rec. 343.
Who is obleist to build the same with … ane sufficient coupill ribbs roof kaibers and theik the same sufficiently watterfast 1687 Newton Community Bk. 2b.
Robert Marshell hes not … incroached wpon the said Johne … his gavill by putting rooff tree or ribb thairin but onely (to be free thairof) hes put wp ane flying coupleattrib. 1563 Edinb. Deeds 85.
Aucht greit geistis, … threttie thre rib geistis, … sevin schort pecis of ribbis and … rib geistis

c. A piece of timber used in the framework of a partition wall. 1591 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 431.
In making the said parpell wall … ane lang rib of spar … to be warping thair to

d. Similarly, in the deck of a ship. 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 480.
iiij sawaris sawand rybbis for the cowbryging of the schippis

e. Rendering L. costa (= a rib, a side), prob. without specific technical application. 1513 Doug. ii i 6.
Ane huge hors … thai wrocht … (Of sawyn beche the ribbis forgyt was [L. Sectaque intexunt abiete costas])

f. ‘One of the curved frame-timbers of a ship, extending from the keel to the top of the hull’ (OED). 1513 Doug. i iii 49 (Ruddim.).
The storme ouerset [the ship], raif rebbis [v.rr. rovis, ruvis] and syde semes

3. A bar of a grate for a fireplace. 1663 Edinb. Test. LXXI 102b.
Tua littill chymneyes wrought in stone with small ribs efter the Inglis maner 1683 Inv. in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS) (9–10 May) 18.
Ane iron chimney with four ribbs

4. A shuffell with ribs, ? a shovel with gaps in its surface so that it can be used for riddling. 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 355.
Ane iron shuffell with ribs for ridling