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