Wiggly

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈwɪɡl̩i/

Definitions

1. Moving with small, quick, irregular twisting or turning motions from side to side
2. Exhibiting a tendency to twist or undulate in a manner that lacks stability and is characterized by irregular, fluctuating movements
3. Demonstrating a propensity for movement that involves a series of short and erratic twists or bends, resulting in a dynamic, unsteady form

Etymology: "Wiggly" is a straightforward formation: the adjective is built from "wiggle" plus the suffix "-y", which turns a noun or verb into an adjective meaning "characterised by" or "full of" the thing named. So a wiggly line is one full of wiggles, and a wiggly worm is one that keeps twisting and squirming. The base verb "wiggle" is the more interesting piece. It belongs to a family of Germanic words in which the sound "wig-" suggests quick, back-and-forth motion. The adjective has close relatives in other Germanic languages: Saterland Frisian, spoken in a small region of northwest Germany, has "wiggelg" and "wiggelch" with the same sense, and Low German has "wiggelig," which carries a sense of restlessness and fidgeting as well as twisting. Taken together, these cognates suggest that the idea of a restless, wriggling movement was present well before the English form took shape.

Synonyms: twisted, curvy, sinuous, serpentine, undulating

Antonyms: straight, linear, flat, smooth, steady