jibber the kibber

The Sailor's Word-Book

A cant term for a diabolical trick for decoying vessels on shore for plunder, by tying a lantern to a horse's neck, one of whose legs is checked; so that at night the motion has somewhat the appearance of a ship's light.


♦ Jib or jibber means a horse that starts or shrinks; and Shakspeare uses it in the sense of a worn-out horse.

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