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

She's put on her famous blonde wig once again for an anniversary special, filmed in front of a studio audience, commemorating fan's favourite moments from the show.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Cyrus and her mother, Tish, even brought out Hannah’s old wigs, joking that “the better the tour got, the better the wig got.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

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

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

The wig dangled comically from the knife’s tip.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• toupee