jib

1 of 3

verb

jibbed; jibbing

intransitive verb

: to refuse to proceed further : balk
jibber noun

jib

2 of 3

noun (1)

: a triangular sail set on a stay extending usually from the head of the foremast to the bowsprit or the jibboom
also : the small triangular headsail on a sloop see sail illustration

jib

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: the projecting arm of a crane
2
: a derrick boom

Examples of jib in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Plus, the mountain has a whopping 10 terrain parks with over 100 jibs, 50 jumps, and two halfpipes. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 18 Nov. 2023 But flaking the jib wasn’t the toughest job on the Millennium Farr 65, designed and built in 1999 for the first Millennium Round the World Race. Helen Iatrou, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2023 The jib crane, for example, has been incorporated neatly into the superstructure. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2023 It’s also equipped with a 200-foot carbon-fiber mast that supports a main sail and jib collectively spanning more than 13,000 square feet. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 10 June 2022 The team predicts the yacht is capable of exceeding windspeed when reaching upwind with main and jib alone, even in a 10-knot breeze. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Feb. 2023 The cut of this jib is all Uncle Sam, but no one wore it like Elvis. Tim Moffatt, EW.com, 6 July 2022 For a bar concealed behind jib doors in a Dallas family room, Liu placed floating shelves painted a shamrock green before an antiqued-mirror backsplash, which visually doubles the homeowner’s crystal barware. Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, ELLE Decor, 15 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jib.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from jib to shift from one side of a ship to the other, perhaps from jib entry 2

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

probably by shortening & alteration from gibbet

First Known Use

Verb

1811, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1661, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jib was in 1661

Dictionary Entries Near jib

Cite this Entry

“Jib.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jib. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

jib

noun
ˈjib
: a triangular sail set on a line running from the bow to the head of the foremast

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