Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Wriggle

Wrig′gle

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Wriggled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Wriggling
.]
[Freq. of
wrig
, probably from OE.
wrikken
to move to and fro; cf. LG.
wriggeln
, D.
wrikken
, Sw.
vricka
, Dan.
vrikke
.]
To move the body to and fro with short, writhing motions, like a worm; to squirm; to twist uneasily or quickly about.
Both he and successors would often
wriggle
in their seats,
as long as the cushion lasted.
Swift.

Wrig′gle

,
Verb.
T.
To move with short, quick contortions; to move by twisting and squirming; like a worm.
Covetousness will
wriggle
itself out at a small hole.
Fuller.
Wriggling
his body to recover
His seat, and cast his right leg over.
Hudibras.

Wrig′gle

,
Adj.
Wriggling; frisky; pliant; flexible.
[Obs.]
“Their wriggle tails.”
Spenser.

Webster 1828 Edition


Wriggle

WRIGGLE

,
Verb.
I.
To move the body to and fro with short motions.
Both he and his successors would often wriggle in their seats, as long as the cushion lasted.

WRIGGLE

,
Verb.
T.
To put into a quick reciprocating motion; to introduce by a shifting motion.
Wriggling his body to recover his seat, and cast his right leg over.

Definition 2024


wriggle

wriggle

English

Verb

wriggle (third-person singular simple present wriggles, present participle wriggling, simple past and past participle wriggled)

  1. (intransitive) To twist one's body to and fro with short, writhing motions; to squirm.
    Teachers often lose their patience when children wriggle in their seats.
    • Jonathan Swift
      Both he and successors would often wriggle in their seats, as long as the cushion lasted.
    • 1972, Carlos Castañeda, The teachings of Don Juan: a Yaqui way of knowledge, page 78:
      I tried to ease my grip, but my hands were sweating so profusely that the lizards began to wriggle out of them.
  2. (transitive) To cause to or make something wriggle.
    He was sitting on the lawn, wriggling his toes in the grass.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

wriggle (plural wriggles)

  1. A wriggling movement.

Translations

Anagrams