Jib
/dʒɪb/noun
A triangular sail set forward of the foremast, or a projecting arm on a crane or machine.
Did you know?“Jib” is a nautical term whose exact origin is uncertain, but it likely entered English through Dutch or related seafaring speech—proof that the language of ships often drifts in from the shadows of trade.
Etymological Timeline
16th–17th Century
English
jib
“A triangular sail near the bow of a ship.”
16th–17th Century
Dutch
jibbe / gibbe (uncertain)
“A possible seafaring source in Low German or Dutch maritime vocabulary.”
16th–17th Century
Low German
gibbe / jibbe (uncertain)
“A possible related nautical term in northern shipboard speech.”
Modern English
English
jib
“A forward sail; by extension, a projecting arm or brace on machinery.”