Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for wag on Thesaurus.com verb (used with object), wagged, wag·ging. to move from side to side, forward and backward, or up and down, especially rapidly and repeatedly: a dog wagging its tail. to move (the tongue), as in idle or indiscreet chatter. to shake (a finger) at someone, as in reproach. to move or nod (the head). Show More
verb (used without object), wagged, wag·ging. to be moved from side to side or one way and the other, especially rapidly and repeatedly, as the head or the tail. to move constantly, especially in idle or indiscreet chatter: Her behavior caused local tongues to wag. to get along; travel; proceed: Let the world wag how it will. to totter or sway. British Slang to play truant; play hooky. Show More
the act of wagging: a friendly wag of the tail. a person given to droll, roguish, or mischievous humor; wit. Show More
Origin of wag 1175–1225; Middle English waggen < Old Norse vaga to sway, or vagga cradle
Related forms wag·ger , noun un·wagged , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for wagged quiver ,
swing ,
nod ,
sway ,
shake ,
vibrate ,
wave ,
beat ,
switch ,
shimmy ,
rock ,
lash ,
waggle ,
bob ,
twitch ,
stir ,
flutter ,
oscillate ,
fish-tail Examples from the Web for wagged Contemporary Examples of wagged But after consulting with his boss, the second guard also wagged his head.
If only salespeople were fuzzy and wagged their tails more, they'd probably find it easier to cooperate with the inevitable.
Historical Examples of wagged Old Bob wagged his head in slow negation; young William lifted his.
Then she wagged the stump of her tail, and they considered themselves acquainted.
And I'd have broke the head of the first man that'd wagged a tongue.
"To ward off possible traitors," she told him, and Marius smiled and wagged his head.
Beth wagged her head like a solemn child and then laid her other hand on his.
British Dictionary definitions for wagged verb wags , wagging or wagged to move or cause to move rapidly and repeatedly from side to side or up and down to move (the tongue) or (of the tongue) to be moved rapidly in talking, esp in idle gossip to move (the finger) or (of the finger) to be moved from side to side, in or as in admonition slang to play truant (esp in the phrase wag it ) Show More
the act or an instance of wagging Show More
Word Origin for wag C13: from Old English wagian to shake; compare Old Norse vagga cradle
a humorous or jocular person; wit Show More
Derived Forms waggery , noun waggish , adjective waggishly , adverb waggishness , noun Word Origin for wag C16: of uncertain origin
informal the wife or girlfriend of a famous sportsman Show More
Word Origin for Wag C21: a back formation from an acronym for w (ives ) a (nd ) g (irlfriends )
(West Africa) Gambia (international car registration) Show More
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
Word Origin and History for wagged v. early 13c., "waver, vacillate, lack steadfastness," probably from a Scandinavian source (cf. Old Norse vagga "a cradle," Danish vugge "rock a cradle," Old Swedish wagga "fluctuate"), and in part from Old English wagian "move backwards and forwards;" all from Proto-Germanic *wagojanan (cf. Old High German weggen , Gothic wagjan "to wag"), probably from PIE root *wegh- "to move about" (see weigh ). Meaning "to move back and forth or up and down" is from c.1300. Wagtail is attested from c.1500 as a kind of small bird (late 12c. as a surname); 18c. as "a harlot," but seems to be implied much earlier:
If therefore thou make not thy mistress a goldfinch, thou mayst chance to find her a wagtaile. [Lyly, "Midas," 1592] Wag-at-the-wall (1825) was an old name for a hanging clock with pendulum and weights exposed.
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n. "person fond of making jokes," 1550s, perhaps a shortening of waghalter "gallows bird," person destined to swing in a noose or halter, applied humorously to mischievous children, from wag (v.) + halter . Or possibly directly from wag (v.).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with wagged see tail wagging the dog; tongues wag.
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
