Adjacent Words

Wriggle definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WRIGGLE, v.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, v.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.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the act of wiggling [syn: wiggle, wriggle, squirm] v
1: to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling); "The prisoner writhed in discomfort"; "The child tried to wriggle free from his aunt's embrace" [syn: writhe, wrestle, wriggle, worm, squirm, twist]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (wriggled; wriggling) Etymology: Middle English, from or akin to Middle Low German wriggeln to wriggle; akin to Old English wrigian to turn — more at wry Date: 15th century intransitive verb 1. to move the body or a bodily part to and fro with short writhing motions like a worm ; squirm 2. to move or advance by twisting and turning 3. to extricate or insinuate oneself or reach a goal as if by wriggling transitive verb 1. to cause to move in short quick contortions 2. to introduce, insinuate, or bring into a state or place by or as if by wriggling • wriggly adjective II. noun Date: 1709 1. a short or quick writhing motion or contortion 2. a formation or marking of sinuous design

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 intr. (of a worm etc.) twist or turn its body with short writhing movements. 2 intr. (of a person or animal) make wriggling motions. 3 tr. & intr. (foll. by along etc.) move or go in this way (wriggled into the corner; wriggled his hand into the hole). 4 tr. make (one's way) by wriggling. 5 intr. practise evasion. --n. an act of wriggling. Phrases and idioms: wriggle out of colloq. avoid on a contrived pretext. Derivatives: wriggler n. wriggly adj. Etymology: ME f. MLG wriggelen frequent. of wriggen

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wriggle Wrig"gle, v. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wriggle Wrig"gle, v. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wriggle Wrig"gle, a. Wriggling; frisky; pliant; flexible. [Obs.] ``Their wriggle tails.'' --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wriggle Wrig"gle, n. Act of wriggling; a short or quick writhing motion or contortion.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(wriggles, wriggling, wriggled) 1. If you wriggle or wriggle part of your body, you twist and turn with quick movements, for example because you are uncomfortable. The babies are wriggling on their tummies... She pulled off her shoes and stockings and wriggled her toes. VERB: V, V n 2. If you wriggle somewhere, for example through a small gap, you move there by twisting and turning your body. He clutched the child tightly as she again tried to wriggle free... Bauman wriggled into the damp coverall. VERB: V adv/prep, V adv/prep

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. Squirm, writhe.

Moby Thesaurus

fidget, flip out, flow, flutter, freak out on, get high on, glide, glow, go pitapat, have the fidgets, have the shakes, heave, jerk, ooze, palpitate, pant, quake, quaver, quiver, shake, shiver, slide, slip, squiggle, squirm, swell, swell with emotion, thrill, thrill to, throb, tingle, tingle with excitement, toss, toss and turn, tremble, tumble, turn on to, twist and turn, twitch, twitter, wag, waggle, wiggle, worm, writhe