wig

American  

[wig] / wɪg /

noun

1. an artificial covering of hair for all or most of the head, of either synthetic or natural hair, worn to be stylish or more attractive.

2. a similar head covering, worn in one's official capacity, as part of a costume, disguise, etc.

3. a toupee or hairpiece.

4. British Informal. a wigging.

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verb (used with object)

wigged, wigging

1. to furnish with a wig.

2. British Informal. to reprimand or reprove severely; scold.

verb phrase

1. wig out

   1. to be intoxicated with narcotic drugs.

   2. to make or become wildly excited or enthusiastic.

      She wigs out over every rock star that comes along.

idioms

1. flip one's wig, lid.

wig ¹ British  

/ wɪɡ /

noun

1. an artificial head of hair, either human or synthetic, worn to disguise baldness, as part of a theatrical or ceremonial dress, as a disguise, or for adornment

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verb

1. obsolete to furnish with a wig

2. slang to berate severely

Wig. ² British  

abbreviation

1. Wigtownshire

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wig More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing wig

• flip one's lid (wig)

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Other Word Forms

• unwig verb (used with object)
• wigged adjective
• wigless adjective
• wiglike adjective

Etymology

Origin of wig

First recorded in 1665–75; short for periwig

Explanation

A wig is a head covering made of hair. If your hair is short, red, and curly, you can try out an entirely different look by wearing a long, black wig. Wigs are made from donated human hair, synthetic hair, or even animal hair. Some look so realistic that no one would ever guess a person was wearing a wig. A costume wig, on the other hand, might simply give you purple clown hair. People wear wigs for many reasons, including hair loss caused by illness or cancer treatment, religious law, and personal style. Wig was originally short for periwig, from the French perruque, "head of hair."

Example Sentences

Often, they’re the same thing, like Byrne’s stiff blonde wig or her set of fake teeth that impede several lines of dialogue to hysterical results.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

Which begs the question: When Pierson chose her first beehive wig in 1976, did she realise it would become her signature look for the next five decades?

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

O’Brien, in fright makeup and wig, looked like Aunt Gladys, the orange-haired witch in the horror movie “Weapons.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

What makes the character indelible is the ghoulish heavy makeup, a bright red wig with tiny bangs, and oversized tinted sunglasses -- a cartoonish look that has gone viral.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

Storch hated George Washington more than he hated the fleas that crawled around his curled white wig.

From I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis

Related Words

• toupee