awiggle
|a-wig-gle|
/əˈwɪɡəl/
in a wiggling way / a state of wiggling
Etymology
'awiggle' originates from English, specifically from the combination of the prefix 'a-' and the verb 'wiggle', where 'a-' meant 'on/in/into' and 'wiggle' meant 'to move with small twisting movements'.
'awiggle' developed as a dialectal or colloquial formation from the older verb 'wiggle' (Middle English forms related to 'wigglen') by adding the prefix 'a-' (a- + wiggle → a-wiggle), becoming recorded in informal speech in the 18th–19th centuries and used as an adjective/adverb as well as a verb.
Initially it literally meant 'in a state of wiggling' (the 'a-' marking the state), but over time it came to be used more broadly as a synonym of 'wiggle' or to describe things that are jiggly or wobbly.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a short, wiggling movement; a wiggle or small wriggle.
Give it an awiggle to loosen the lid.
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Verb 1
to move with quick, small, twisting or wriggling motions; to wiggle (intransitive).
The puppy began to awiggle when its owner appeared.
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Adjective 1
moving or characterized by small, wiggling motions; a-wriggling or wobbly.
The awiggle jelly shook on the plate.
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Last updated: 2025/12/04 22:18