WAG


Meaning of WAG in English

/ wæg; NAmE / verb , noun

■ verb ( -gg- )

1.

[ v , vn ] if a dog wags its tail, or its tail wags , its tail moves from side to side several times

2.

[ vn ] to shake your finger or your head from side to side or up and down, often as a sign of disapproval

3.

[ vn ] ( AustralE , NZE ) to stay away from school without permission :

to wag school

IDIOMS

see tail noun , tongue noun

■ noun

1.

( old-fashioned , especially BrE ) a person who enjoys making jokes

SYN joker

2.

a wagging movement

••

WORD ORIGIN

verb and noun sense 2 Middle English (as a verb): from the Germanic base of Old English wagian to sway .

noun sense 1 mid 16th cent. (denoting a young man or mischievous boy, also used as a term of endearment to an infant): probably from obsolete waghalter person likely to be hanged (from the verb wag and halter ).

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.