wiggle

American  

[wig-uhl] / ˈwɪg əl /

verb (used without object)

wiggled, wiggling

1. to move or go with short, quick, irregular movements from side to side.

   The puppies wiggled with delight.

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verb (used with object)

wiggled, wiggling

1. to cause to wiggle; move quickly and irregularly from side to side.

noun

1. a wiggling movement or course.

2. a wiggly line.

3. a dish of creamed fish or shellfish and peas.

idioms

1. get a wiggle on, to hurry up; get a move on.

   If you don't get a wiggle on, we'll miss the first act.

wiggle British  

/ ˈwɪɡəl /

verb

1. to move or cause to move with jerky movements, esp from side to side

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noun

1. the act or an instance of wiggling

2. slang to hurry up

Other Word Forms

• outwiggle verb (used with object)
• wiggler noun
• wiggly adjective

Etymology

Origin of wiggle

1175–1225; Middle English wiglen; akin to Old English wegan to move, wēg motion, wicga insect; compare Norwegian vigla to totter, frequentative of vigga to rock oneself, Dutch, Low German wiggelen

Example Sentences

I set down my plate, hop up, and wiggle my feet into the irresistible shoes.

From Literature

Jonah’s now laying flat on the floor, giggling while Maverick dances and wiggles all around and over him, licking his face whenever he lunges in close.

From Literature

Cooking one more night a week could result in you having a bit more wiggle room in your “fun” budget.

From MarketWatch

The reasoning: Rising gross margins often show a company has pricing power with its customers, but it also gives a company wiggle room to boost its operating margin as long as other costs don’t balloon.

From Barron's

His moustache wiggled as he worked his mouth almost to a pout.

From Literature