jig

¹ American  

[jig] / dʒɪg /

noun

1. Machinery. a plate, box, or open frame for holding work and for guiding a machine tool to the work, used especially for locating and spacing drilled holes; fixture.

2. Angling. any of several devices or lures, especially a hook or gang of hooks weighted with metal and dressed with hair, feathers, etc., for jerking up and down in or drawing through the water to attract fish.

3. Mining. an apparatus for washing coal or separating ore from gangue by shaking and washing.

4. a cloth-dyeing machine in which the material, guided by rollers, is passed at full width through a dye solution in an open vat.

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verb (used with object)

jigged, jigging

1. to treat, cut, produce, etc., with a jig.

verb (used without object)

jigged, jigging

1. to use a jig.

2. to fish with a jig.

jig ² American  

[jig] / dʒɪg /

noun

1. a rapid, lively, springy, irregular dance for one or more persons, usually in triple meter.

2. a piece of music for or in the rhythm of such a dance.

3. Obsolete. prank; trick.

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verb (used with object)

jigged, jigging

1. to dance (a jig or any lively dance).

2. to sing or play in the time or rhythm of a jig.

   to jig a tune.

3. to move with a jerky or bobbing motion; jerk up and down or to and fro.

verb (used without object)

jigged, jigging

1. to dance or play a jig.

2. to move with a quick, jerky motion; hop; bob.

idioms

1. in jig time, with dispatch; rapidly.

   We sorted the mail in jig time.

2. the jig is up, it is hopeless; no chance remains.

   When the burglar heard the police siren, he knew the jig was up.

jig ³ American  

[jig] / dʒɪg /

noun

1. (formerly used in communications to represent the letterJ. )

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jig ⁴ American  

[jig] / dʒɪg /

noun

Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.

1. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Black person.

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jig British  

/ dʒɪɡ /

noun

1. any of several old rustic kicking and leaping dances

2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance, usually in six-eight time

3. a mechanical device designed to hold and locate a component during machining and to guide the cutting tool

4. angling any of various spinning lures that wobble when drawn through the water

5. Also called: jigger.  mining a device for separating ore or coal from waste material by agitation in water

6. obsolete a joke or prank

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verb

1. to dance (a jig)

2. to jerk or cause to jerk up and down rapidly

3. (often foll by up) to fit or be fitted in a jig

4. (tr) to drill or cut (a workpiece) in a jig

5. mining to separate ore or coal from waste material using a jig

6. (intr) to produce or manufacture a jig

7. slang to play truant from school

Other Word Forms

• jiggish
  adjective
• jiglike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of jig¹

First recorded in 1855–60; probably akin to jig ², in the sense “jerk to and fro”; origin and interrelationship of these words uncertain

Origin of jig²

First recorded in 1550–60; in earliest sense “kind of dance”; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Middle French giguer “to frolic, gambol,” possibly from an unattested West Germanic verb

Origin of jig⁴

First recorded in 1920–25, of uncertain origin; cf. jigaboo

Explanation

A jig is a lively, festive kind of dance. When you do a jig, you spend a lot of time hopping, kicking, and shuffling your feet. The jig is mainly associated with Ireland and Scotland, and it plays a big role in both traditional Irish dancing and Scottish country dancing. The jig also influenced 20th century African American tap and soft-shoe dance styles. You can also call the type of tune that's played to accompany the dance a jig. The source of jig is most likely the Middle French giguer, "to dance" or "to jump."

Example Sentences

The album Hounds of Love would go to feature a track called Jig of Life, which included an extended coda of traditional Irish music.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2022

Long before the Big Rig Jig hovered in Banksy’s Dimsaland, the Raygun Gothic Rocket Ship landed in San Francisco, or Cube-a-tron arrived in Zurich’s train station, I saw it years ago here on the playa.

From The Guardian • Sep. 1, 2015

For the Fisher’s Jig, we were assigned a “shadow,” another partner to keep an eye out for.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2015

A version of this article appears in print on February 16, 2014, on page AR9 of the with the headline: The Jig Is Up, if You’re Irish or Not.

From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2014

And with this very wise reflection, Peter Dalton hummed a Jig to himself as he took his way to the fish-market.

From The Daltons, Volume II (of II) Or,Three Roads In Life by Lever, Charles James