n. [ Etymol. uncertain. ] A piece or slip of metal or wood, notched or otherwise, in a machine or structure, to hold other parts in place or bind them together, or to afford a bearing surface; -- usually held or adjusted by means of a wedge, key, or screw. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gib and key, or
Gib and cotter (Steam Engine), the fixed wedge or gib, and the driving wedge, key, or cotter, used for tightening the strap which holds the brasses at the end of a connecting rod. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To act like a cat. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Gibbed p. pr. & vb. n. Gibbing. ] To secure or fasten with a gib, or gibs; to provide with a gib, or gibs. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gibbed lathe, an engine lathe in which the tool carriage is held down to the bed by a gib instead of by a weight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Abbreviated fr. Gilbert, the name of the cat in the old story of “Reynard the Fox”, in the “Romaunt of the Rose”, etc. ] A male cat; a tomcat. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To balk. See Jib, v. i. Youatt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Gibaros /plu>. [ Amer. Sp. jíbaro wild. ] (Ethnol.) The offspring of a Spaniard and an Indian; a Spanish-Indian mestizo. [ Sp. Amer. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Cf. Ar. jebbār giant; or L. gibber humpbacked: cf. F. gibbar. ] (Zool.) One of several finback whales of the North Atlantic; -- called also Jupiter whale. [ Written also jubartas, gubertas, dubertus. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Gib to balk. ] A balky horse. Youatt. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. gibbered p. pr. & vb. n. gibbering. ] [ Akin to jabber, and gabble. ] To speak rapidly and inarticulately. Shak.
Syn. -- jabber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.), A plant growth hormone of the gibberellin series (C19H22O6), also called gibberellin A₃. It was first isolated from the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi. It is used to promote the growth of seedlings. See also gibberellin. MI11 [ PJC ]