A claim to something, usually called out first to say you get to use it or have it first.
Origin uncertain, possibly from the children's game 'dibstones' or from 'dib' (to dip lightly). The 'claim' sense emerged as child slang, possibly in British English in the early 20th century. It entered mainstream English as a juvenile word for calling 'first pick'.
Kids calling 'dibs' is actually a sophisticated social negotiation system—without formal rules or adult authority, children use this single word to establish property rights and prevent conflict, showing how powerful informal language can be!
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