different between wag vs wagger

English

Etymology

From Middle English waggen, probably from Old English wagian (“to wag, wave, shake”) with reinforcement from Old Norse vaga (“to wag, waddle”); both from Proto-Germanic *wag?n? (“to wag”). Related to English way.

The verb may be regarded as an iterative or emphatic form of waw (verb), which is often nearly synonymous; it was used, e.g., of a loose tooth. Parallel formations from the same root are the Old Norse vagga feminine, cradle (Swedish vagga, Danish vugge), Swedish vagga (“to rock a cradle”), Dutch wagen (“to move”), early modern German waggen (dialectal German wacken) to waver, totter. Compare waggle, verb

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wæ?/
• Rhymes: -æ?

Verb

wag (third-person singular simple present wags, present participle wagging, simple past and past participle wagged)

1. To swing from side to side, such as of an animal's tail, or someone's head, to express disagreement or disbelief.
   • Every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

2. (Britain, Australia, slang) To play truant from school.
   • 1848, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, xxii

     "My misfortunes all began in wagging, Sir; but what could I do, exceptin' wag?" "Excepting what?" said Mr. Carker. "Wag, Sir. Wagging from school." "Do you mean pretending to go there, and not going?" said Mr. Carker. "Yes, Sir, that's wagging, Sir."

   • 1901, William Sylvester Walker, In the Blood, i. 13

     They had "wagged it" from school, as they termed it, which..meant truancy in all its forms.

3. (obsolete) To be in action or motion; to move; progress.
   • 1623, William Shakespeare, As You Like It Act II

     "Thus we may see," quoth he, "how the world wags."

4. (obsolete) To go; to depart.

Coordinate terms

• (swing from side to side): nod, no

Derived terms

• awag
• finger-wag
• wag it

Translations

See also

• waggle (frequentative)
• wiggle

Noun

wag (plural wags)

1. An oscillating movement.

2. A witty person.

Derived terms

• hop the wag
• play the wag

Translations

See also

• skivitis

References

• The Oxford English Dictionary, (1989) The Oxford English Dictionary, Accessed 23 Feb. 2006.
• Jonathon Green, "wag," The Cassell Dictionary of Slang, (1998) p. 1257.

Anagrams

• AGW, AWG, GWA, Gaw, WGA, gaw

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /va?/

Etymology 1

From Dutch wacht, from Middle Dutch wachte, from Old Dutch wahta (“watch, sentry, guard”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtw? (“watch, vigil”).

Noun

wag (plural wagte)

1. guard

Derived terms

• skildwag
• waghou
• wagtoring

Etymology 2

From Dutch wachten, from Middle Dutch wachten (“to watch, guard, keep watch, wait”), from Old Dutch *wahton, derived from wahta.

Verb

wag (present wag, present participle wagtende, past participle gewag)

1. (intransitive) to wait [+ vir (for)]

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /va?k/
• Rhymes: -a?k

Verb

wag

1. singular imperative of wagen
2. (colloquial) first-person singular present of wagen

Middle English

Noun

wag

1. Alternative form of wage

Old English

Alternative forms

• w?h

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *waigaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /w???/, [w???]

Noun

w?g m

1. wall (of a building or a house)

Declension

Derived terms

• w?grift
• w?gþyrel

Descendants

• English: waw

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *w?gaz.

Noun

w?g m

1. wave
2. flood

References

• "w?g" in Köbler, Gerhard, Altsächsisches Wörterbuch (5th edition 2014)

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vak/

Noun

wag f

1. genitive plural of waga

English

Etymology

wag +? -er

Noun

wagger (plural waggers)

1. One who, or that which, wags.

   a finger-wagger

   waggers of tongues

2. A truant, notably who ditches school.

Anagrams

• Wragge