Historical reference: Do not rely on this information. It is very old. About this collection
Jib, the foremost ordinary sail of a ship, barque, brig, schooner, or cutter; a large staysail extended from the bowsprit, or bowsprit and jib-boom, towards the foretopmast head, or, in cutters, etc., towards the lower masthead. It is of great command in a sidewind, and especially when the vessel is close-hauled. A flying-jib is a sail occasionally set upon a boom rigged out beyond the jib-boom. A middle-jib is sometimes set between the two already mentioned.