waggle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to move something repeatedly with short, quick motions from side to side or up and down

   The dog waggled its tail when the children arrived.

2. 2
   verb

   to sway or move unsteadily from side to side

   The loose sign waggled in the wind.

3. 3
   noun

   a brief repeated wagging or wobbling movement

   Give the cable a gentle waggle to loosen it.

From Middle English wagelen, probably related to wag + the frequentative suffix -le. The suffix suggests a repeated or small movement, so waggle developed as a more iterative form of wag.

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