squiggle

American  

[skwig-uhl] / ˈskwɪg əl /

noun

1. a short, irregular curve or twist, as in writing or drawing.

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verb (used without object)

squiggled, squiggling

1. to move in or appear as squiggles.

   His handwriting squiggled across the page.

verb (used with object)

squiggled, squiggling

1. to form in or cause to appear as squiggles; scribble.

squiggle British  

/ ˈskwɪɡəl /

noun

1. a mark or movement in the form of a wavy line; curlicue

2. an illegible scrawl

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verb

1. (intr) to wriggle

2. (intr) to form or draw squiggles

3. (tr) to make into squiggles

Other Word Forms

• squiggler noun
• squiggly adjective

Etymology

Origin of squiggle

First recorded in 1830–40; blend of squirm and wriggle

Example Sentences

Richards’s signature style is to break down complex behavioral-finance concepts into minimalist line drawings — sometimes just a squiggle — with only a few words.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

"That's what happened here. We had all sort of noticed this fishhook squiggle on the rock. It was pretty prominent because it was really, really deep."

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

Another trim making a comeback is rickrack, featuring squiggle design that adds a playful touch.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 18, 2023

As McKinnon tells Robbie she must travel to “The Real World” for answers, the drawn map appears, showing a trail of eight dashes jutting out in a squiggle from Asia and into the map’s ocean.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 12, 2023

“I’d seen it before, but I didn’t think of it as an E then, just a squiggle that looked like writing. There are all these rocks that look like they’re covered with writing.”

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau