wriggle

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: wrig=gle

CIDE DICTIONARY

wriggle, v. i. [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, like a worm; to squirm; to twist uneasily or quickly about.  [1913 Webster]
"Both he and successors would often wriggle in their seats,
as long as the cushion lasted."  [1913 Webster]

wriggle, 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."  [1913 Webster]
"Wriggling his body to recover
His seat, and cast his right leg over."  [1913 Webster]

wriggle, a. 

 Wriggling; frisky; pliant; flexible.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

wriggle, n. 

 Act of wriggling; a short or quick writhing motion or contortion.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

wriggle, 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.

Idiom

wriggle out of colloq. avoid on a contrived pretext.

Derivative

wriggler n. wriggly adj.

Etymology

ME f. MLG wriggelen frequent. of wriggen

THESAURUS

wriggle

fidget, flip out, flow, flutter, freak out on, get high on, glide, glow, go pitapat, have the fidgets, have the shakes, heave, jerk, ooze, palpitate, pant, quake, quaver, quiver, shake, shiver, slide, slip, squiggle, squirm, swell, swell with emotion, thrill, thrill to, throb, tingle, tingle with excitement, toss, toss and turn, tremble, tumble, turn on to, twist and turn, twitch, twitter, wag, waggle, wiggle, worm, writhe

ROGET THESAURUS

wriggle

Oscillation

VB oscillate, vibrate, librate, alternate, undulate, wave, rock, swing, pulsate, beat, wag, waggle, nod, bob, courtesy, curtsy, tick, play, wamble, wabble, dangle, swag, fluctuate, dance, curvet, reel, quake, quiver, quaver, shake, flicker, wriggle, roll, toss, pitch, flounder, stagger, totter, move up and down, bob up and down, pass and repass, ebb and flow, come and go, vacillate, teeter, brandish, shake, flourish.

Agitation

VB be agitated, shake, tremble, tremble like an aspen leaf, quiver, quaver, quake, shiver, twitter, twire, writhe, toss, shuffle, tumble, stagger, bob, reel, sway, wag, waggle, wriggle, wriggle like an eel, dance, stumble, shamble, flounder, totter, flounce, flop, curvet, prance, cavort, squirm, throb, pulsate, beat, palpitate, go pitapat, flutter, flitter, flicker, bicker, bustle, ferment, effervesce, foam, boil, boil over, bubble up, simmer, toss about, jump about, jump like a parched pea, shake like an aspen leaf, shake to its center, shake to its foundations, be the sport of the winds and waves, reel to and fro like a drunken man, move from post to pillar and from pillar to post, drive from post to pillar and from pillar to post, keep between hawk and buzzard, agitate, shake, convulse, toss, tumble, bandy, wield, brandish, flap, flourish, whisk, jerk, hitch, jolt, jog, joggle, jostle, buffet, hustle, disturb, stir, shake up, churn, jounce, wallop, whip, vellicate.