Word of the Day
10 March 2026
ribband
nounManufacturing
A long, narrow strip of timber bent and bolted longitudinally to the ribs of a vessel, to hold them in position and give rigidity to the framework.
Why this one
The name is literally a band around the ribs, and the job is temporary: it fairs the frames and holds them true until the planking takes over, then it comes off. Boatbuilders lofting a hull still speak of ribband lines.
In use
Don't trust that frame till the ribband's on, it'll lean out on you the minute you let go.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.