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# ribwort

noun (ribwort, ribworts — also «ribwort plantain»)

«ribwort» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A common wild plant with long narrow leaves that have strong lines (ribs) and a dark brown flower head on a tall stalk. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/ribwort/#m1)

### In the lessons

In nature walks and science lessons in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand it is a common lawn and roadside weed. Children play a game called «soldiers» or «conkers with plantains», flicking the heads off each other's stalks. Phrases: «ribwort plantain».

### Examples

- Ribwort grows in the field behind the school. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/ribwort/#x1)
- We played soldiers with ribwort stalks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/ribwort/#x2)
- The leaves of ribwort have long lines like ribs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/ribwort/#x3)
- Ribwort plantain is a food plant for some caterpillars. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/ribwort/#x4)
- Count how many ribwort plants are in the quadrat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/ribwort/#x5)
- Ribwort flowers have tiny white stamens round the head. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/ribwort/#x6)

### Note

Countable or uncountable. «-wort» is an old word for plant (also in «St John's wort»). Not the same as the «plantain» fruit, which is like a banana — a trap.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ribwort» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/ribwort/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ribwort» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ribwort.html) on Mova free.