Waggle

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈwaɡəl/

Definitions

1. To perform a rapid, sideways, or up-and-down movement that conveys excitement or playfulness
2. To exhibit a lively shaking motion characterized by an informal or casual rhythm and gesture
3. To move in a quick, small shaking or wavering motion often seen as playful or lively

Etymology: "Waggle" is a frequentative formed from "wag" plus the suffix "-le," which repeatedly signals a repeated or continued action, so the word essentially means "to wag again and again." The "wag" at its root is the older and simpler verb for swinging or shaking back and forth, familiar from dogs' tails. The "-le" ending is a common English device for making verbs of repeated motion, as in "twinkle," "sparkle," and "wrestle," which all describe actions repeated in small bursts rather than single events. Middle English produced "wagelen," and the form appears in the record as "wagelyng," showing the word was already in use in that period. The verb may have been borrowed from Middle Low German, a possibility that remains open. Related forms run across the continent and into Scandinavia, including German "wackeln," Dutch "waggelen," Swedish "vagla," and Danish "vakle," all carrying the same sense of unsteady rocking or wobbling. The sideways-and-up-and-down motion we associate with excitement or playfulness today grew out of this shared physical idea of swaying back and forth.

Synonyms: wiggle, jiggle, sway, shake, flap

Antonyms: still, steady, stabilize, calm, control