wriggle

wriggle
wrigglingly, adv.
/rig"euhl/, v., wriggled, wriggling, n.
v.i.
1. to twist to and fro; writhe; squirm.
2. to move along by twisting and turning the body, as a worm or snake.
3. to make one's way by shifts or expedients (often fol. by out): to wriggle out of a difficulty.
v.t.
4. to cause to wriggle: to wriggle one's hips.
5. to bring, get, make, etc., by wriggling: to wriggle one's way through a narrow opening.
n.
6. act of wriggling; a wriggling movement.
[1485-95; < MLG wriggelen (c. D wriggelen), freq. of *wriggen to twist, turn, akin to OE wrigian to twist; see WRY]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • wriggle — [rig′əl] vi. wriggled, wriggling [MLowG wriggeln, akin to OFris wrigia: see WRY] 1. to move to and fro with a twisting, writhing motion; twist and turn; squirm 2. to move along with a wriggling motion 3. to make one s way by subtle or shifty… …   English World 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 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wriggle — Wrig gle, v. t. To move with short, quick contortions; to move by twisting and squirming; like a worm. [1913 Webster] Covetousness will wriggle itself out at a small hole. Fuller. [1913 Webster] Wriggling his body to recover His seat, and cast… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wriggle — Wrig gle, a. Wriggling; frisky; pliant; flexible. [Obs.] Their wriggle tails. Spenser. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wriggle — (v.) late 15c., from M.L.G. wrigglen to wriggle, from P.Gmc. *wrig , *wreik to turn (see WRY (Cf. wry)). Related to O.E. wrigian to turn, incline, go forward …   Etymology dictionary

  • wriggle — ► VERB 1) twist and turn with quick writhing movements. 2) (wriggle out of) avoid by devious means. ► NOUN ▪ a wriggling movement. DERIVATIVES wriggler noun wriggly adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • Wriggle — Wrig gle, n. Act of wriggling; a short or quick writhing motion or contortion. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wriggle — [v] maneuver out of; wiggle convulse, crawl, dodge, extricate oneself, glide, jerk, jiggle, ooze, skew, slink, slip, snake, sneak, squirm, turn, twist, twitch, wag, waggle, worm, writhe, zigzag; concepts 30,149 …   New thesaurus

  • wriggle — I UK [ˈrɪɡ(ə)l] / US verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms wriggle : present tense I/you/we/they wriggle he/she/it wriggles present participle wriggling past tense wriggled past participle wriggled to move, or to make something move, by… …   English dictionary

  • wriggle — wrig|gle1 [ˈrıgəl] v [Date: 1300 1400; Origin: Probably from Middle Low German wriggeln] 1.) to twist your body from side to side with small quick movements ▪ Stop wriggling and let me put your T shirt on. wriggle under/through/into ▪ He wriggled …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • wriggle — [[t]rɪ̱g(ə)l[/t]] wriggles, wriggling, wriggled 1) VERB 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... They were… …   English dictionary

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