gybe /d͡ʒaɪb/verb 4noun 4forms 3 verb4 •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. •Generally of a small sailing vessel: to change tack with the wind crossing behind the vessel. •(no longer used) Often as gybe at: to balk, hesitate, or vacillate when faced with a course of action, plan, or proposal. noun4 •The act of gybing. •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. — 2014 •A sudden change in approach or direction; vacillation. formsgybed · gybing · gybes
