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WAG Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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View synonyms for wag

wag

[ wag ]

verb (used with object)

wagged, wagging.
  1. to move from side to side, forward and backward, or up and down, especially rapidly and repeatedly:

    a dog wagging its tail.

  2. to move (the tongue), as in idle or indiscreet chatter.
  3. to shake (a finger) at someone, as in reproach.
  4. to move or nod (the head).


verb (used without object)

wagged, wagging.
  1. to be moved from side to side or one way and the other, especially rapidly and repeatedly, as the head or the tail.
  2. to move constantly, especially in idle or indiscreet chatter:

    Her behavior caused local tongues to wag.

  3. to get along; travel; proceed:

    Let the world wag how it will.

  4. to totter or sway.
  5. British Slang. to play truant; play hooky.

noun

  1. the act of wagging:

    a friendly wag of the tail.

  2. a person given to droll, roguish, or mischievous humor; wit.

WAG

1

abbreviation for

  1. (West Africa) Gambia (international car registration)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Wag

2

/ wæɡ /

noun

  1. informal.
    the wife or girlfriend of a famous sportsman
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wag

3

/ wæɡ /

verb

  1. to move or cause to move rapidly and repeatedly from side to side or up and down
  2. to move (the tongue) or (of the tongue) to be moved rapidly in talking, esp in idle gossip
  3. to move (the finger) or (of the finger) to be moved from side to side, in or as in admonition
  4. slang.
    to play truant (esp in the phrase wag it )
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act or an instance of wagging
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wag

4

/ wæɡ /

noun

  1. a humorous or jocular person; wit
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈwaggishness, noun
  • ˈwaggishly, adverb
  • ˈwaggish, adjective
  • ˈwaggery, noun
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Other Words From

  • wagger noun
  • un·wagged adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wag1

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English waggen, from Old Norse vaga “to sway,” or from vagga “cradle”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wag1

C21: a back formation from an acronym for w ( ives ) a ( nd ) g ( irlfriends )

Origin of wag2

C13: from Old English wagian to shake; compare Old Norse vagga cradle

Origin of wag3

C16: of uncertain origen
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Idioms and Phrases

see tail wagging the dog ; tongues wag .
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Example Sentences

From the road one recent morning, black and white Labradors could be seen romping about inside pens, excitedly barking and wagging tails.

“Never judge a book by its contents,” quipped a wag in a porkpie hat as we both regarded the cover of an aging paperback guide to vitamins, for sale on a Broadway sidewalk.

“I remember if I made a hit, he would stand on the sidelines and wag his finger at me. I was like, `You created this.’

"Marvin was a very good boy," Dan McKinley, 27, says, recalling how his four-legged friend went viral on X when TV crews at the 100 weddings event caught him wagging his tail.

From BBC

"He was always accessible at NBA events over the years - with his infectious smile, deep booming voice and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation."

From BBC

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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