verb / noun
wag
WAG/wæɡ/
A repeated movement from side to side.
Our dog wags her tail whenever someone opens the door.
Etymology
Waggen is first recorded for wavering or lacking steadfastness. Its later physical sense makes that instability visible as repeated back-and-forth movement, familiar in a dog's wagging tail.
In context
with a cunning contrivance inside him to make him open his jaws and wag his tail.
More examples
- She wagged her finger at me for taking another cookie.
- The puppy greets us with a few eager wags.
- His tail keeps wagging even while he drinks.
Forms
wag · wags · wagged · wagging