Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Nautical A triangular sail stretching from the foretopmast head to the jib boom and in small craft to the bowsprit or the bow.
- n. The arm of a mechanical crane.
- n. The boom of a derrick.
- v. To stop short and turn restively from side to side; balk.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Same as jibe.
- n. Nautical, adjective large triangular sail set on a stay forward of the foremast. In large vessels it extends from the end of the jib-boom toward the foretopmast-head; in schooners and sloops from the bowsprit-end toward the foremast-head. The flying jib is set outside of the jib, and the jib-o'-jib outside of the flying jib. When two smaller jibs are carried on one boom, instead of one larger one, they are distinguished as the inner and outer jibs. See
balloon-jib , and cut undersail . - To pull against the bit, as a horse; move restively sidewise or backward.
- n. Same as jibber.
- n. The projecting arm of a crane: same as gib, 5.
- n. A stand for beer-barrels.
- n. The under lip.
- n. The boom of a derrick; the inclined strut in a derrick, which can be swung in a vertical as well as a horizontal plane.
Wiktionary
- n. A triangular staysail set forward of the foremast. In a sloop (see image) the basic jib reaches back roughly to the level of the mast.
- n. Usually with a modifier, any of a variety of specialty triangular staysails set forward of the foremast.
- n. The projecting arm of a crane
- n. An object that is used for performing tricks while skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, inline skating, or biking. These objects are usually found in a terrain park or skate park.
- v. Of a horse, to stop and refuse to go forward.
- v. To stop doing something, to become reluctant to proceed with an activity.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A triangular sail set upon a stay or halyard extending from the foremast or fore-topmast to the bowsprit or the jib boom. Large vessels often carry several jibs
- n. The projecting arm of a crane, from which the load is suspended.
- n. One that jibs, or balks; a jibber.
- n. A stationary condition; a standstill.
- v. To move restively backward or sidewise, -- said of a horse; to balk.
- To shift, or swing round, as a sail, boom, yard, etc., as in tacking.
WordNet 3.0
- v. shift from one side of the ship to the other
- v. refuse to comply
- n. any triangular fore-and-aft sail (set forward of the foremast)
Etymologies
- Origin unknown.
Examples
“Our man Shane is the guy you see with what we call the jib camera.”
“She opened in the panelling one of the old-fashioned concealed modes of exit known as jib-doors, which it was once the custom to construct without architraves in the walls of large apartments, so as not to interfere with the general design of the room.”
“This exercise should be repeated until releasing casting off and trimming the jib is a smooth and coordinated effort on the part of the crew at helmsman.”
“Imám Abu Hanífa says they are wájib, that is ordered by God.”
“I need not tell you all this is in strict confidence; and if the plan does not jib, which is not very probable, will bring lots of grist to the mill.”
“To lay out on the long bowsprit and put a single reef in the jib was a slight task compared with what had been already accomplished; so a few moments later they were again in the cockpit.”
“Seems the organizers like the cut of my "immoderate moderator" jib, which is deeply flattering and rewarding as I always have a lot of fun doing it.”
“We sort the bag out and wrestle the jib, which is now filled with hundreds of litres of water, back onto the stack at the back of the boat.”
“The storm jib, which is the sail furthest front on a vessel, unless it be a flying jib, was set to give her enough way so she would respond to the helm, for it was necessary to keep the craft before the wind, and head on to the seas -- that is, the big waves must be cut and broken by the sharp prow, or bow, for had they come at the schooner sideways, she would have been swamped instantly.”
The Moving Picture Girls at Sea or, A Pictured Shipwreck That Became Real
“a single reef in the jib was a slight task compared with what had been already accomplished; so a few moments later they were again in the cockpit.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘jib’.
-
Gene Wolfe
Please contribute your favorite words from any of Gene Wolfe’s books to this prize-winning list.
In case you come across words in this list which are too commonplace to fit in, please ...gallipot, roost, badelaire, oblesque, execration, dhole, amschaspand, arctother, chalcedony, penitence, asimi, autarch and 839 more...
-
Unknown
coalition, cabinet, tweet, defuse, steep, ancestral, mindset, breach, infraction, egregious, curb, backbite and 280 more...
-
pretty dots all in a row
polka dotted words
hijack, jinx, jingle, beijing, jive, jilted, jittery, jill, hijab, haji, hajj, hijinks and 147 more...
-
-ib
zib, glib, fib, squib, lib, nib, bib, dib, mib, gib, jib, Carib and 27 more...

donricklin also a kind of sail. Oct 11, 2008
chained_bear Another WeirdNet definition...
Whenever I hear/read this word I think of Rowan Atkinson saying "I like the cut of your jib, young fellow me lad!" Nov 13, 2007