Waggles

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To move something rapidly back and forth or up and down in short, quick motions ; to shake an object or body part deliberately to convey a message or attract notice
2. The action of making brief, repeated movements often to signal or express something ; the act of vibrating or trembling to get attention or show emotion
3. Moving with a series of small, fast motions ; shaking with intent to communicate or to draw focus

Etymology: "Waggles" is the plural and third-person singular form of "waggle," so the history belongs to the verb. The verb came into Middle English as "wagelen," and it is built from "wag," meaning to move back and forth, with the suffix "-le," which marks repeated or frequent action. In other words, a waggle is a small wag that keeps happening. The verb may have been borrowed from Middle Low German "wagelen," though the source treats that as a possibility rather than a certainty. Either way, it belongs to a family of closely related words across the Germanic languages, including German "wackeln," Dutch "waggelen," Swedish "vagla," and Danish "vakle." Each shows the same pattern of a root meaning to sway, with a suffix that turns it into a rocking, repeated motion.

Synonyms: shakes, wiggles, jiggles, twitches, jerks