wiggle
English
editEtymology
editFrom 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
editVerb
editwiggle (third-person singular simple present wiggles, present participle wiggling, simple past and past participle wiggled)
- (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
editto move with irregular motions
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Noun
editwiggle (plural wiggles)
- A rapid movement in alternating opposite directions, not necessarily regular.
- She walked with a sexy wiggle.
- (figurative) An alternating state or characteristic. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- (in the plural) See wiggles.
Translations
editwiggling movement
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Derived terms
editTerms derived from the noun or verb wiggle
References
edit- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “wiggle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
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- English terms inherited from Middle English
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