riblet

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableAmerican

   A small, short piece cut from a pork rib, usually cooked in a sauce and served as a snack or starter.

   Grammar: Usually used in the plural: a plate of riblets.

   Patterns

   • riblets with something
   • a basket of riblets

   We shared a basket of riblets while we waited for the main course.

   The riblets were coated in a sticky, sweet barbecue sauce.

   He ate six riblets and licked every finger.

2. 2nouncountableraretechnical

   A small rib of any kind, such as a thin supporting structure in a leaf or other object.

   Grammar: A rare, technical use; the food sense is far more common.

   The wing has thin riblets running along its surface.

   Tiny riblets on the shell make it stronger.

Word forms

Common combinations

barbecue riblets

The pub sells barbecue riblets with a side of fries.

order riblets

Let's order riblets as a starter.

a plate of riblets

She put a plate of riblets in the center of the table.

glazed riblets

The glazed riblets were sweet and a little spicy.

smoked riblets

Smoked riblets are a house specialty at that diner.

Synonyms and how they differ

spare ribs

Spare ribs are longer strips of rib meat, whereas riblets are cut into small bite-sized pieces.

ribs

Ribs is the general word for the whole cut, and riblets suggests smaller, snack-sized portions.

short ribs

Short ribs come from beef and are usually braised, while riblets are normally pork.

Word family

rib noun

one of the curved bones of the chest, or a cut of meat from it

-let suffix

a suffix meaning small, as in booklet or piglet

ribbed adjective

having raised ridges like ribs

ribcage noun

the bony frame formed by the ribs

Commonly confused: riblet or ribbit?

Practice

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