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Definition of ribes

ribes

/ˈraɪbiːz/
ri · bes
Plural:ribes
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ribes Lexical Profile

ribes Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Any deciduous shrub of the genus Ribes (family Grossulariaceae), native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the Andes, encompassing ornamental flowering currants cultivated for their pendulous racemes of fragrant pink, red, or yellow blossoms as well as fruit-bearing currants and gooseberries.

2

The small, tart, edible berry produced by various shrubs of the genus Ribes, such as redcurrants, blackcurrants, and gooseberries.

Synonyms
View all synonyms for ribes

• Nearby Words

ribbon snake
ribbonfish
riberry
ribes
ribeye
rice
ricebean

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin ribes, from Arabic ribas, referring to an acidic rhubarb species (Rheum ribes) native to the Levant and later applied by European botanists to currants because of their similarly tart berries.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ribes. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 21, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ribes
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