blue ribbon: Meaning and Definition of

blue' rib'bon

1. the highest award or distinction, as the first prize in a contest: His entry at the state fair won a blue ribbon.
2. a blue ribbon worn as a badge of honor, esp. by members of the Order of the Garter of the British knighthood.
3. (caps.) (formerly) a prize awarded to an ocean liner making the fastest recorded trip across the Atlantic Ocean between Ambrose Lightship and Bishop Rock.
4. a badge used by some temperance organizations to indicate a pledge of abstinence from alcohol.

blue-rib•bon

1. of superior quality or prominence; first-rate; specially selected: a blue-ribbon committee of fund-raisers.