wiggle

1 of 2

verb

wig·​gle ˈwi-gəl How to pronounce wiggle (audio)
wiggled; wiggling ˈwi-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wiggle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to move to and fro with quick jerky or shaking motions : jiggle
2
: to proceed with or as if with twisting and turning movements : wriggle

transitive verb

: to cause to wiggle

wiggle

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act of wiggling
2
: shellfish or fish in cream sauce with peas
wiggly adjective

Examples of wiggle in a Sentence

Verb The puppy wiggled with excitement. the baby wiggled in her sleep
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The build-a-dinosaur adventure figure includes an opening jaw, a tail that wiggles when the head moves, articulated legs, and some veggies thrown in for good measure. Toby Rose, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024 By night, his father would lend him his binoculars to spy on women through their windows, filling in any gaps in his anatomical understanding with whatever under-the-counter girly magazines had managed to wiggle through Italy’s draconian censorship. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2024
Noun
His next one went for 15, showing some impressive wiggle. Colton Pouncy, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024 Pintar is a 23-year-old center fielder who hit well in High A but was old for the level, and since a promotion to Double A at the start of July, he’s struggled to hit anything with a wiggle in it. The Athletic Mlb Staff, The Athletic, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for wiggle 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English wiglen, from or akin to Middle Dutch or Middle Low German wiggelen to totter; akin to Old English wegan to move — more at way

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wiggle was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near wiggle

Cite this Entry

“Wiggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiggle. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

wiggle

verb
wig·​gle
ˈwig-əl
wiggled; wiggling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to move to and fro with quick jerky or shaking motions : jiggle
wiggled my toes
2
: to move along with twisting and turning movements : wriggle
wiggle noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wiggle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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