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. wriggle out of colloq. avoid on a contrived pretext. wriggler n. wriggly adj.
[ ME f. MLG wriggelen frequent. of wriggen ]