Library / English Dictionary

WRIGGLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of wiggling

Synonyms:

squirm; wiggle; wriggle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("wriggle" is a kind of...):

motility; motion; move; movement (a change of position that does not entail a change of location)

Derivation:

wriggle (to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling))

wriggly (moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

To move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)

Example:

The child tried to wriggle free from his aunt's embrace

Synonyms:

squirm; twist; worm; wrestle; wriggle; writhe

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "wriggle" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "wriggle"):

wrench (make a sudden twisting motion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

wriggle (the act of wiggling)

wriggler (one who can't stay still (especially a child))

Credits

 Context examples: 

The man peered doubtfully into the basket, plunged in his hand and drew one up, wriggling, by the back of the neck.

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)