gybe

verb

less common spelling of jibe

intransitive verb

1
: to shift suddenly and forcibly from one side to the other
used of a fore-and-aft sail or its boom
was the most amazed when he saw me work the boat to and again in the sea by the rudder, and how the sail jibed, and filled this way or that way as the course we sailed changedDaniel Defoe
the cutter had lost all four foremost men by the violent jibing of a boomHerman Melville
2
: to change a vessel's course when sailing with the wind so that as the stern passes through the eye of the wind the boom swings to the opposite side

transitive verb

: to cause (a sail or vessel) to jibe
this maneuver was bound to force her to jibe her mainsail from one side to the otherJack London

Dictionary Entries Near gybe

Cite this Entry

“Gybe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gybe. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gybe

variant of jibe entry 1

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