zigzag
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zigzag¹
- /ˈzɪɡ.zæɡ/
- [ˈzɪɡ.zæɡ]
- /ˈzɪɡ.zeɪ̯ɡ/
- [ˈzɪɡ.zeɪ̯ɡ]
Rhymes with -æɡ
Where it comes from
Attested from 1712. Borrowed from French zigzag (attested from 1662), possibly from a Germanic source via Walloon ziczac (although German Zickzack is attested only from 1703). Also, possibly from the shape of the letter Z, which appears twice in the word. Sense “drunk” from the zigzag movements of a drunk person.
noun zigzags · zig-zag
- A line or path that proceeds by sharp turns in alternating directions. She had just succeeded in curving it down into a graceful zigzag, and was going to dive in among the leaves, which she found to be nothing but the tops of the trees under which she had been wandering, when a sharp hiss made her draw back in a hurry: […].
- One of these sharp turns.
adjective zig-zag
- Moving in, or having a zigzag. The entrance to this ancient place of devotion was under a very low round arch, ornamented by several courses of that zig-zag moulding, resembling shark's teeth, which appears so often in the more ancient Saxon churches.
- Drunk.
verb zigzags · zigzagging · zigzagged · zig-zag
-
To move or to twist in a zigzag manner.
[…] she saw them as we see the throngs which cover the canvases of Sallaert, Van Alsloot, and others of that school—vast masses of beings, jostling, zigzagging, and processioning in definite directions, but whose features are indistinguishable by the very comprehensiveness of the view.
Similar: zig and zag, weave, yaw
adverb more zigzag · most zigzag · zig-zag
- In a zigzag manner or pattern.
Zigzag²
Where it comes from
Named after the nearby Zigzag River.
proper noun
- A small town in Oregon.
Translations
Every language
noun line or path
| Español | zigzag |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 갈지자 galjija, 지그재그 jigeujaegeu |
| 日本語 | ジグザグ jiguzagu |
| 中文 | 之字形 zhīzìxíng, Z字形 |
| हिन्दी | टेढ़ा-मेढ़ा ṭeḍhā-meḍhā |
| Kiswahili | zigizaga |
| Português | ziguezague |
| Français | zigzag |
| Deutsch | Zickzack |
| Italiano | zigzag |
| Русский | зигза́г zigzág |
| עברית | זיגזג |
adj moving in or having a zigzag
| Español | en zigzag |
|---|---|
| Português | ziguezagueante |
verb move in a zigzag manner
| Español | zigzaguear |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | ジグザグに進む jiguzagu ni susumu |
| 中文 | 曲折前進 /曲折前进 qūzhé qiánjìn, 蜿蜒 wānyán, 彎彎曲曲 /弯弯曲曲 wānwānqūqū |
| Português | ziguezaguear |
| Français | zigzaguer |
| Italiano | zigzagare |
| Русский | идти́ зигза́гом idtí zigzágom, де́лать зигза́ги délatʹ zigzági |
adv in a zigzag manner or pattern
| Español | en zigzag, zigzagueando |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 갈지자로 galjijaro, 지그재그로 jigeujaegeuro, 비틀배틀 biteulbaeteul, 실룩샐룩 silluksaelluk, 휙획 hwikhoek |
| 日本語 | ジグザグ jiguzagu, 雁木 gangi |
| 中文 | 之字形 zhīzìxíng |
| Português | ziguezagueando, em ziguezague |
| Deutsch | zickzack |
| Русский | зигза́г zigzág |
Talk about this word "zigzag." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/zigzag. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. zigzag. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/zigzag "zigzag." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/zigzag.Cite this
@misc{zigzag_2026,
title = {zigzag},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/zigzag},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
