Definition

1. Verb:

   • To move with short, quick movements from side to side or up and down: "waggle" describes a small, rapid, and often unsteady shaking or rocking motion.
   • To cause something to move in such a way: It can also mean to make an object move with this kind of short, side-to-side motion.

2. Noun:

   • A short, quick movement from side to side: "waggle" refers to the act or instance of waggling.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:

  • The golfer will waggle the club a few times before taking a swing.
  • The puppy's tail began to waggle excitedly when it saw its owner.
  • She waggled her eyebrows to suggest a secret.

• Noun:

  • He gave the handle a little waggle to see if it was loose.
  • With a waggle of her fingers, she said goodbye.

Advanced Usage

• "to have a waggle on" (informal, chiefly British): To be in a state of agitation or excitement.
  • The news put him in a bit of a waggle.

Variants and Related Words

• Wag (verb/noun): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "waggle," especially for tails. "Wag" can imply a broader, more sweeping motion.
  • The dog wagged its tail.
• Wiggly (adj): Moving with quick, slight movements from side to side; sinuous.
  • A wiggly line.

Synonyms

• Jiggle: To move lightly and quickly from side to side or up and down.
• Wobble: To move unsteadily from side to side.
• Shake: To move with short, quick movements back and forth or up and down.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "waggle" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically contained in the single word.)

Related Idioms

• "Waggle dance": A specific term in biology for the figure-eight dance honeybees perform to communicate the location of food sources to other bees.
  • The scout bee performed a waggle dance to direct the hive to the flowers.

Noun

1. causing to move repeatedly from side to side

Verb

1. move unsteadily or with a weaving or rolling motion
2. move from side to side
   • The happy dog wagged his tail