dibs

American  

[dibz] / dɪbz /

noun

Informal.

1. money in small amounts.

2. rights; claims.

   I have dibs on the car when Jimmy brings it back.

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dibs British  

/ dɪbz /

plural noun

1. another word for jacks

2. a slang word for money

3. informal (foll by on) rights (to) or claims (on): used mainly by children

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dibs Idioms  

1. see have dibs on.

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Usage

What does dibs mean? When you call dibs on something, you claim it, especially in advance (before other people can claim it or get to it). To call dibs, you usually actually say (or shout) dibs, especially while mentioning the thing you’re claiming, as in Dibs on the last slice of pizza! If you’ve got dibs, you consider yourself to have the right to the thing that you’ve made a claim to. Dibs is very informal and is mostly used by kids. It’s especially seen in the phrases call dibs, have dibs, got dibs, and first dibs. Less commonly, dibs is used as a slang term for small amounts of money or as another name for the game of jacks. Example: There’s only one cupcake left, but I already called dibs on it.

Etymology

Origin of dibs

1720–30; shortening of earlier dibstones a children's game; see dib

Explanation

When you have dibs on something, you've made a claim to it — you have a right to own, control, or share it. You and your brother might have grown up arguing over who had dibs on riding in the front seat of the car. You'll often find the word dibs in the phrase "have first dibs on." For example, you could say, "I wanted the chocolate donut, but my sister had first dibs on it." Usually, having dibs on something is merely a matter of being the first person to claim it out loud. It's a late 17th century American English word that comes from children's slang, a shortened form of dibstone,"a jack in a children's game."

Example Sentences

She may still go the other way, but at least she gets first dibs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

For England, Bellingham has had first dibs as the number 10 this season.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2024

In addition, more senior flight attendants get first dibs on longer routes that pay more for a given time commitment.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 22, 2023

Mr. Forrest, Janet Maslin wrote in a review in The New York Times, “would be the surprise hit of the movie if Miss Midler didn’t herself have dibs on that position.”

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2023

“Hello? Earth to Kyle? Do you want somebody else to get first dibs on the Electronic Learning Center?”

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein