Etymology Originally verb sense “drink heartily”, from Middle English bibben, either from Latin bibō (“to drink”) or of imitative origin. Noun sense (clothing) presumably either because worn while drinking, or because the clothing itself “drinks up” spills.
An item of clothing for people (especially babies) tied around their neck to protect their clothes from getting dirty when eating.
2
Similar items of clothing such as the Chinese dudou and Vietnamese yem.
3
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A rectangular piece of material, carrying a bib number, worn as identification by competitors.
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Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A colourful polyester or plastic vest worn over one's clothes, usually to mark one's team during group activities.
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The upper part of an apron or overalls.
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Cycling, Hobbies, Lifestyle, SportsAbbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of bib short.
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A patch of colour around an animal's upper breast and throat.
In summer the whole throat and breast are black, but in winter plumage the throat is white bounded by a horseshoe-shaped black bib.1950, Arthur Cleveland Bent, Life Histories of North American Wagtails, Shrikes, Vireos, and their Allies:
He don't look anything like the captain. This here cat has got a nice thick black coat of fur with a nice white bib and white feet.2011, Arthur Peacock, Gettysburg the Cat, page 22:
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A north Atlantic fish (Trisopterus luscus), allied to the cod.
Etymology Originally verb sense “drink heartily”, from Middle English bibben, either from Latin bibō (“to drink”) or of imitative origin. Noun sense (clothing) presumably either because worn while drinking, or because the clothing itself “drinks up” spills.
1
To dress (somebody) in a bib.
Wise women use them, but new fathers seldom seem to understand that one minute bibbing baby saves who knows how long swabbing, finding clean clothes, changing, and coddling later — not to mention laundry time.1990, Don Aslett, Don Aslett's Stain-buster's Bible: The Complete Guide to Spot Removal:
Mel got Daniel into his chair and bibbed him up.2011, Dawn Atkins, The Baby Connection, page 101:
Iff I were a fleſhly felowe, and a preacher of lyes and tolde them that they might ſyt bebbinge and bollynge, and be droncken: O that were a prophet for this people.1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Micheas [Micah] ij:[11], folio xcij, verso, column 2:
they gave him drink as often as he cry'd; so that he was constantly bibbing1693, [John Locke], “§18”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC: