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/wæg/ Listen

noun

Wag n.

The act of wagging; a shake; as, a wag of the head. (Colloq.)

A man full of sport and humor; a ludicrous fellow; a humorist; a wit; a joker. "We wink at wags when they offend." "A counselor never pleaded without a piece of pack thread in his hand, which he used to twist about a finger all the while he was speaking; the wags used to call it the thread of his discourse."

verb

Wag v. t. (past & past part. wagged; pres. part. wagging) To move one way and the other with quick turns; to shake to and fro; to move vibratingly; to cause to vibrate, as a part of the body; as, to wag the head. "No discerner durst wag his tongue in censure." "Every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head." Note: Wag expresses specifically the motion of the head and body used in buffoonery, mirth, derision, sport, and mockery.

Wag v. i.

To move one way and the other; to be shaken to and fro; to vibrate. "The resty sieve wagged ne'er the more."

To be in action or motion; to move; to get along; to progress; to stir. (Colloq.) ""Thus we may see," quoth he, "how the world wags.""

To go; to depart; to pack oft. (R.) "I will provoke him to 't, or let him wag."

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Etymology of 'Wag'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Wag" Quotes from Famous Books

... Though envy wag her scorpion tongue, The march of Time shall find his fame; Where Bravery's loved and Glory's sung, There children's lips shall lisp ...

— War Poetry of the South • Various

... have his worship presently, that is, if he means to keep his hour; if not, you may wait for him, Godfrey, if you court his acquaintance. But what, after all, if it should prove but a mummery got up by Vankarp, or some such wag? I wish you had run all risks, and cudgelled the old burgomaster soundly. I'd wager a dozen of Rhenish, his worship would have unmasked, and pleaded old ...

— J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 1 • Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

... that dog of mine! His name is Bmfkmgth, and none of you will be able to pronounce that, except the children who live in Wales. It is rather a hard name, but he came from the Dog Star, and the language there is somewhat difficult. Say it to your dogs, however, and see if they do not wag their tails. Yes, they understand each other. Bmfkmgth is green, a color that I never see in dogs on your planet; but that may be because he eats so freely of the green cheese which grows here ...

— Five Mice in a Mouse-trap - by the Man in the Moon. • Laura E. Richards

... Hush, pretty one! Here's a virago! Here's a termagant! If length and sharpness go for anything, You'll want no sword while you can wag your tongue! ...

— The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan - The 14 Gilbert And Sullivan Plays • William Schwenk Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

... wag, though the hert may sag; an' whan the deid lies streekit, there's a hoose to be theekit. An' the freens an' the neebours gatithert frae near an' frae far, till there was a heap o' fowk i' the hoose, come to the beeryin' o' the ...

— Warlock o' Glenwarlock • George MacDonald

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