Wiktionary

wiggle

English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English wiglen, probably from Middle Dutch wigelen (“to wiggle”) and perhaps Middle Low German wigelen, frequentative of wiegen (“to rock”), from wiege (“cradle”).[1] See wain, and Dutch wieg (“cradle”).

Cognate to Dutch wiggelen (“to wiggle”).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈwɪɡəl/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪɡəl
  • Hyphenation: wig‧gle

Verb edit

wiggle (third-person singular simple present wiggles, present participle wiggling, simple past and past participle wiggled)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To move with irregular, back and forward or side to side motions; To shake or jiggle.
    Her hips wiggle as she walks.
    The jelly wiggles on the plate when you move it.
    • 1992, “Jump”, performed by Kris Kross:
      I'll make ya bump, hump, wiggle and shake your rump
    • 2012, Stephen King, 11/22/63, page 788:
      "These modern dances!" he grunted, grabbing his smokes. "They don't do nothing but teach the kids how to bump n wiggle."

Translations edit

Noun edit

wiggle (plural wiggles)

  1. A rapid movement in alternating opposite directions, not necessarily regular.
    She walked with a sexy wiggle.
  2. (figurative) An alternating state or characteristic. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  3. (in the plural) See wiggles.

Translations edit

Derived terms edit

Terms derived from the noun or verb wiggle

References edit

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “wiggle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
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