I. ˈwag, -aa(ə)g, -aig verb
( wagged ; wagged ; wagging ; wags )
Etymology: Middle English waggen; akin to Old Norse vagga cradle, Swedish vagga to rock, Middle High German wacken to totter; akin to Old English wagian to move, swing, totter, Old High German wagōn to move, surge, Old Norse vaga to wag; akin to Old English wegan to move — more at way
intransitive verb
1. : to be in action or motion : move , stir
see … how the world wags — Shakespeare
2. : to move to and fro or up and down especially repeatedly and with a quick or jerky motion : oscillate , switch , waggle , wave , wigwag
3. : to keep moving in chatter or gossip
his tongue wags incessantly
beards wagged throughout the scientific world — Webb Garrison
heads wagged for a time — Louis Bromfield
his lips were still wagging — Time
4.
a. archaic : to move from a place : pack off : depart
wag to town
b. archaic : to wander from place to place : travel
c. slang : to play truant from school
the school we both attended — when not wagging it — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin
5.
a. : to move with a wagging or wobbling motion : waddle
a dog wagging down the street
b. of an animal : to wag the tail
a pack of dogs — they fawned, they wagged, they growled — Helen Howe
transitive verb
1.
a. archaic : move , stir , budge
b. dialect : to carry or haul with difficulty : lug
wag groceries home in a cart
a small child … compelled to wag her baby brother around with her — Theodore Garrison
2.
a. : to swing to and fro or up and down especially repeatedly and with a quick or jerky motion : shake , switch , wave
ducks … nonchalantly wagging their tails — Edmund Wilson
formation leaders have telegraphed their dive attacks by wagging their wings before coming in — Keith Ayling
naval vessels … would be wagging and hoisting flags and blinking lights at one another — Gavin Douglas
specifically : to nod (the head) or shake (a finger) at (as in assent or mild reproof)
don't wag your finger at me
b. : to move (as the head) animatedly in conversation
a scandalous event that set the villagers to wagging their tongues
a theory for philosophers to wag their heads over — Henry Bordeaux
3. : to strongly influence or exert control over (a related thing) out of proportion to size or true importance
the tail wags the dog
instances … in which the choirs are wagging the church — Maurice Thompson
II. noun
( -s )
: an act of wagging : nod
a wag of the head
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably short for obsolete waghalter gallows bird, from wag (I) + halter
1. obsolete
a. : a mischievous boy
b. : a young man : chap
2. : one full of sport and humor : wit , jester , joker
we wink at wags when they offend — John Dryden
many of the most celebrated wags of history — E.J.Kahn
IV. abbreviation
wagon; wagoner