dibs on something

(first) dibs (on something)

slang The rights to something, or the rights to have first choice of something. "Dibs" are usually claimed verbally. The word is a shortening of "dibstones," counters used in an 18th-century children's game. I call dibs on the front seat! Hey, I had dibs on being first in line! A: "Can I have this pudding cup?" B: "No, Sarah's got first dibs."

See also: dibs

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

dibs on something

phr. a claim on something. Dibs on the front seat!

See also: dibs, on, something

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.