1
slang : money especially in small amounts
2
: claim, rights
I have dibs on that piece of cake

Examples of dibs in a Sentence

I get dibs on the front seat!
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The standouts get scooped up by teams in need, with an unspoken rule that the last-place teams get first dibs at any especially talented newcomers. Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025 There’s also a $100 VIP ticket option that includes admission, parking, early entry, exclusive shirt and button, one drink ticket and first dibs at choosing a seat inside the theater. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2025 Better Things Hive gets first dibs, followed by PostmasterFlex, and then A Real Wicked Conclave gets what’s left. Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025 Boarding planes early has several perks, including first dibs at overhead bin space and dodging long lines at the gate. Geoff Whitmore, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for dibs

Word History

Etymology

short for dibstones jacks, from obsolete dib to dab

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dibs was in 1812

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dibs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dibs. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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