2. A narrow strip or shred; as, a steel or magnesium ribbon;
sails torn to ribbons.
3. (Shipbuilding) Same as {Rib-band}.
4. pl. Driving reins. [Cant] --London Athen[ae]um.
5. (Her.) A bearing similar to the bend, but only one eighth
as wide.
Note: The blue ribbon, and The red ribbon, are phrases often
used to designate the British orders of the Garter and
of the Bath, respectively, the badges of which are
suspended by ribbons of these colors. See {Blue
ribbon}, under {Blue}.
{Ribbon fish}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) Any elongated, compressed, ribbon-shaped marine fish
of the family {Trachypterid[ae]}, especially the
species of the genus {Trachypterus}, and the oarfish
({Regelecus Banksii}) of the North Atlantic, which is
sometimes over twenty feet long.
(b) The hairtail, or bladefish.
(c) A small compressed marine fish of the genus {Cepola},
having a long, slender, tapering tail. The European
species ({C. rubescens}) is light red throughout.
Called also {band fish}.
{Ribbon grass} (Bot.), a variety of reed canary grass having
the leaves stripped with green and white; -- called also
{Lady's garters}. See {Reed grass}, under {Reed}.
{Ribbon seal} (Zo["o]l.), a North Pacific seal ({Histriophoca
fasciata}). The adult male is dark brown, conspicuously
banded and striped with yellowish white.
{Ribbon snake} (Zo["o]l.), a common North American snake
({Eutainia saurita}). It is conspicuously striped with
bright yellow and dark brown.
{Ribbon Society}, a society in Ireland, founded in the early
part of the 19th century in antagonism to the Orangemen.
It afterwards became an organization of tennant farmers
banded together to prevent eviction by landlords. It took
its name from the green ribbon worn by members as a badge.
{Ribborn worm}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A tapeworm.
(b) A nemertean.