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jiggle

/ˈdʒɪgəl/
/ˈdʒɪgəl/
IPA guide

Other forms: jiggled; jiggling; jiggles

To jiggle is to move very quickly back and forth or up and down. If you ride in a car over bumpy roads holding a bowl of Jello on your lap, you can watch it jiggle until you reach your destination.

You might feel your body jiggle when you ride on a galloping horse, and you can also jiggle something, like when you accidentally jiggle a chess board and send the pieces flying. The action of moving in this way is a jiggle. Jiggle comes from jig, "lively dance," and is probably an alteration of the earlier joggle, "move with jerks or small bobs."

Definitions of jiggle
  1. verb
    move to and fro
    “Don't jiggle your finger while the nurse is putting on the bandage!”
    synonyms: joggle, wiggle
    see moresee less
    types:
    wag, waggle
    move from side to side
    type of:
    agitate, shake
    move or cause to move back and forth
  2. noun
    a slight irregular shaking motion
    synonyms: joggle
    see moresee less
    type of:
    shaking
    the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
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