gybe
English
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
gybe¹
- /d͡ʒaɪb/ US, UK
Rhymes with -aɪb
Where it comes from
Probably from Dutch gijben (obsolete), gijpen; cognate with Danish gibbe, German gieben, giepen, Swedish gipa, gippa.
The noun is derived from the verb; compare Dutch gijb (obsolete), gijp (“act of gybing; a boom”).
verb gybes · gybing · gybed
- To shift a fore-and-aft sail from one side of a sailing vessel to the other, while sailing before the wind.
- Of a fore-and-aft sail or its boom: to shift, often forcefully and suddenly, from one side of a sailing vessel to the other. […] I had my Man Friday to teach as to what belong'd to the Navigation of my Boat; for though he knew very well how to paddle a Canoe, he knew nothing what belong'd to a Sail and a Rudder, and was the moſt amaz'd when he ſaw me work the Boat too and again in the Sea by the Rudder, and how the Sail g
- Generally of a small sailing vessel: to change tack with the wind crossing behind the vessel.
- Often as gybe at: to balk, hesitate, or vacillate when faced with a course of action, plan, or proposal.
noun gybes · gibe · jibe
- A sudden shift of a sail's angle, or a sudden change in the direction that a vessel is sailing in.
- A manoeuvre in which the stern of a sailing vessel crosses the wind, typically resulting in the forceful and sudden sweep of the boom from one side of the vessel to the other. The key to a good gybe is to bring the spinnaker round to the old weather side before you begin, and then to steer to keep some wind in the kite.
- A sudden change in approach or direction; vacillation.
gybe²
- /d͡ʒaɪb/ US, UK
Rhymes with -aɪb
Where it comes from
See jibe.
noun gybes
- Alternative spelling of jibe (“taunt”).
verb gybes · gybing · gybed
- Alternative spelling of jibe (“taunt”).
Translations
Every language
verb of a fore-and-aft sail or its boom: to shift from one side of a sailing vessel to the other
| Español | trasluchar |
|---|---|
| עברית | מַהְפָּךְ mahpakh |
verb to shift a fore-and-aft sail from one side of a sailing vessel to the other
| Español | trasluchar |
|---|---|
| עברית | מַהְפָּךְ mahpakh |
verb to change tack with the wind behind
| Español | trasluchar |
|---|---|
| Português | cambar |
| Français | empanner, virer lof pour lof |
| Deutsch | kreuzen |
| עברית | מַהְפָּךְ mahapakh |
Talk about this word "gybe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/gybe. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. gybe. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/gybe "gybe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/gybe.Cite this
@misc{gybe_2026,
title = {gybe},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/gybe},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
