bigwig

See also: big-wig and big wig

English

Alternative forms

• big wig, big-wig

Etymology

First arose in the 1730s, from big +‎ wig. Formerly, English men of authority wore wigs. Bigwig plays on the idea that higher authority is denoted by a larger wig.

Pronunciation

• enPR: bĭgʹwĭg, IPA^(key): /ˈbɪɡ.wɪɡ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Rhymes: -ɪɡ

Noun

bigwig (plural bigwigs)

1. (humorous) A person of importance to a group or organization.

   Synonyms: big cheese, VIP; see also Thesaurus:important person

   The company bigwig is gathering his staff together for a meeting today.

   • 1891, Grace L. Keith Johnston, The Halletts: A Country Town Chronicle, volume 3, page 34:

     […] more innocently, and no doubt profitably, than if he had dined at a big-wig's board or bemused himself with smoke and beer among his brethren of the pen.

   • 2016 May 5, “Reality star Bethenny Frankel talks hats, hangovers and her Kentucky Derby party at Empire City Casino”, in New York Daily News:

     Before her hay-day, she attended many derbys under her dad's celebrity where she'd hobnob with the bigwigs in Millionaire's Row.

Translations

A person of importance

• Czech: velké zvíře (cs) n, papaláš (cs) m
• Dutch: hoge ome, bobo (nl), (Belgium) dikkop (nl) m
• Estonian: suur nina, tähtis tegelane
• Finnish: pamppu (fi), napamies, silmäätekevä (fi), kiho (fi)
• French: grosse légume (fr) f, huile (fr) f, gros bonnet (fr) m
• German: hohes Tier (de) n, Persönlichkeit (de) f, Bonze (de) m, Großkopferter (de) m
• Hebrew: איש חשוב מאוד m (ish hashuv meod)
• Indonesian: kakap (id)
• Irish: boc mór m
• Italian: capo (it) m, barbassoro (it) m, pataffione m, pallone gonfiato m
• Japanese: 大物 (ja) (おおもの, ōmono)
• Polish: gruba ryba (pl) f, szycha (pl) f, figura (pl) f, VIP (pl) m
• Russian: большая ши́шка (ru) (bolʹšaja šíška) (big fir-cone), важная пти́ца (ru) (važnaja ptíca) (important bird)
• Spanish: pez gordo (es) m, barón (es) m, mandamás m or f
• Swedish: höjdare (sv) c
• Welsh: pwysigyn m