wiggle

American  

[wig-uhl] / ˈwɪg əl /

verb (used without object)

wiggled, wiggling

1. to move or go with short, quick, irregular movements from side to side.

   The puppies wiggled with delight.

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verb (used with object)

wiggled, wiggling

1. to cause to wiggle; move quickly and irregularly from side to side.

noun

1. a wiggling movement or course.

2. a wiggly line.

3. a dish of creamed fish or shellfish and peas.

idioms

1. get a wiggle on, to hurry up; get a move on.

   If you don't get a wiggle on, we'll miss the first act.

wiggle British  

/ ˈwɪɡəl /

verb

1. to move or cause to move with jerky movements, esp from side to side

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noun

1. the act or an instance of wiggling

2. slang to hurry up

Other Word Forms

• outwiggle verb (used with object)
• wiggler noun
• wiggly adjective

Etymology

Origin of wiggle

1175–1225; Middle English wiglen; akin to Old English wegan to move, wēg motion, wicga insect; compare Norwegian vigla to totter, frequentative of vigga to rock oneself, Dutch, Low German wiggelen

Example Sentences

This decline in crime gives Mamdani "a bit of wiggle room to think creatively" about public safety in New York, including improving social services and support, Mr Egan said.

From BBC

And I want to remind people to wiggle your toes.

From BBC

Giving yourself a bit of wiggle room in the form of a monthly “fun” allowance can also help you remain consistent, Shafransky said.

From MarketWatch

“A lot of them chose to come in via silver because gold already had run,” Lundin said in a phone interview, adding that when speculation takes hold, “naturally you get more wiggles” in the price.

From MarketWatch

The trick is building a little wiggle room in your budget for them—so that a fallback meal feels like a relief, not a splurge.

From Salon