The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):
ribbon cable
A type of flat multicore cable with cores
positioned side-by-side, making it quick and relatively easy
to clamp an Insulation Displacement Connector (IDC) across
all cores.
Ribbon cables typically have grey insulation with cores on a
0.050" pitch and a red stripe marking Pin 1. They are less
resilient than screened, multicore cable and are usually used
inside equipment where little movement or plugging and
unplugging are expected. A common use is connecting a disk
drive to the motherboard in a PC.
(2007-07-21)