wigwag

[ wig-wag ]
See synonyms for wigwag on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with or without object),wig·wagged, wig·wag·ging.
  1. to move to and fro.

  2. Nautical. to signal by movements of two flags or the like waved according to a code.

noun
  1. Nautical. the act or process of sending messages by the movements of two flags or the like waved according to a code.

  2. a message so signaled.

Origin of wigwag

1
1575–85; wig to wag (now dial.) + wag; gradational compound, parallel to zigzag, etc.

Other words from wigwag

  • wigwagger, noun

Words Nearby wigwag

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use wigwag in a sentence

  • I must see what becomes of wigwag,' she replied to Mundus, as he called through the door that he was eating all the eggs.

  • It is more convenient for windy weather, because the flags are shorter and smaller than the flags of the three-motion wigwag.

    Pluck on the Long Trail | Edwin L. Sabin
  • The relief of the boys at the information conveyed by the wigwag signals from the shore may well be imagined.

    Boy Scouts in the Philippines | G. Harvey Ralphson
  • When Frank related the story of the night, in his presence, he laughed and asked for the wigwag code which Frank had used.

    Boy Scouts in the Philippines | G. Harvey Ralphson
  • Mr. Wells has perfected a method of signalling by means of wigwag, light, smoke, or whistle which is as simple as it is effective.

    Taxidermy | Leon Luther Pray

British Dictionary definitions for wigwag

wigwag

/ (ˈwɪɡˌwæɡ) /


verb-wags, -wagging or -wagged
  1. to move (something) back and forth

  2. to communicate with (someone) by means of a flag semaphore

noun
    • a system of communication by flag semaphore

    • the message signalled

Origin of wigwag

1
C16: from obsolete wig, probably short for wiggle + wag 1

Derived forms of wigwag

  • wigwagger, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012