Word.ws English Dictionary

wigwag

Syllables: wig·wag/ˈwɪɡwaɡ/US/ˈwɪɡˌwæɡ/

wigwag noun: any of a number of mechanical or electrical devices which cause a component to oscillate between two states.

Noun

wigwag (plural wigwags)

  1. Any of a number of mechanical or electrical devices which cause a component to oscillate between two states.
    • The wig-wag [an instrument measuring solar radiation] utilizes the principle that the gaseous phase of a volatile liquid expands as a result of the conversion of radiant energy to sensible heat. It requires only a reading of the count at whatever interval the observer chooses.1968, Jen-Hu Chang, “Introduction”, in Climate and Agriculture: An Ecological Survey, Chicago, Ill.: Aldine Pub. Co., →OCLC; republished New Brunswick, N.J.: Aldine Transaction, Transaction...
    • The most common failure on the older models [of washing machines] was a $12 part called a "wig-wag" – that's right, a "wig-wag" – it was a simple part that kept the washer washing and could be replaced in five minutes or less.2007, M. David Chambers, “Beaversovin & the Lifetime Guarantee”, in The Best is Yet to Come, Indianapolis, Ind.: Dog Ear Publishing, →ISBN, page 9
    1. A device that causes one or more lights to flash in a preset pattern.
      • Framed by the pulsing wig-wag lights the painted the stone walls and arched windows of the front of the Gallatin Gateway Inn in vivid reds and blues, Cody Hoyt tossed the duffel he'd saved into the back of his Ford.2011 August, C[harles] J[ames] Box[, Jr.], chapter 21, in Back of Beyond, New York, N.Y.: Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press, →ISBN, page 209
    2. A red light near the door of a sound stage that flashes to indicate that cameras are rolling inside the stage and that all people and vehicles outside should remain quiet; a red-eye.
      • I parked near a big sound stage building; lamped a red wig-wag signal rocking back and forth to indicate a scene being shot inside. This meant no admittance until the cameras had stopped grinding. Presently a bell jingled and the wig-wag died.1943 March, Robert Leslie Bellem, “Russian Run-around”, in Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective, Wilmington, Del.: Culture Publications, →OCLC; republished as Russian Run-around, [Prineville, Or.]: eStar...
      • WIG-WAG The red flashing light outside of a stage indicating that filming is going on.[2002, Michael G. Uva, Sabrina Uva, “WIG-WAG”, in Uva’s Basic Grip Book, updated edition, Boston, Mass.: Focal Press, →ISBN
    3. A device used to cause lamps installed on a motor vehicle, especially an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or police car, to flash as a warning.
      • Rogan hit the wigwag flashers on the headlights of the Crown Vic and made it to the circular driveway at the Sixth Avenue entrance of the Hilton in four minutes flat.2009, Alafair Burke, City of Fear, London: Avon, →ISBN
      • But it was equipped with a siren; blue lights concealed in the front grille; wig-wag, or blinking lights, in the rear; and a blue light on the front dashboard.2009, Dick Lehr, The Fence: A Police Cover-up Along Boston’s Racial Divide, Pymble, N.S.W.; New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 10
    4. A device with multiple (often two), alternately flashing lights which is installed at a railway level crossing (or grade crossing), a movable bridge, etc., to warn vehicular traffic to stop.
      • Travelling home about half past ten o'clock on a recent night he had seen a motor-car which had been driven into the cattle-stop on the railway-line. It was a bad night from a visibility point of view, and the wig-wag was not operating, as no train was in sight. However, before the motor-car was...1935 September 25, W[alter] Nash (Hutt), “[House of Representatives.] Adjournment: Questions”, in New Zealand. Parliamentary Debates. Fifth Session, Twenty-fourth Parliament. Legislative Council and...
      • The Seacliff train pulled out of Brighton station and gathered speed as it approached the level crossing with its wig-wag signal warning signal ringing out. Then the train's whistle blew deperately because, standing alone at the crossing, was a boy aged about three and a half. The little boy was I...2002, Ian [Victor] Hansen, “The First Problem”, in The Naked Fish: An Autobiography of Belief, Kent Town, South Australia: Wakefield Press, →ISBN, page 1
    5. An instrument that creates a wigwagging motion for polishing.
      • The wigwag is used for polishing the shoulders of pinions, pinion leaves, staffs and pivots, and for numerous other operations. […] These tools are used extensively in all the American watch factories.1894, Henry G. Abbott, “WIGWAG”, in Abbott’s American Watchmaker and Jeweler. An Encyclopedia for the Horologist, Jeweler, Gold and Silversmith, Containing […] Receipts and Formulas Compiled from the...
    6. A warning device inside the cabin of a truck that causes a mechanical arm to drop into view when the pressure in the airbrake system of the truck becomes too low for the brakes to be reliably deployed.
      • Some vehicles with air brakes also use a wigwag low pressure indicator. This is mounted above the windshield. If the air pressure drops below 60 psi, the signal arm will drop down across the windshield. You can't reset it (push it back out of view) until air pressure is brought above 60 psi. Don't...2010, Mike Byrnes and Associates, “Air Brakes”, in Barron’s CDL: Commercial Driver’s License Truck Driver’s Test, 3rd edition, Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barron's Educational Series, →ISBN, part 2, page 230...
    7. (US) A grade crossing signal with a swinging motion used to indicate an approaching train.
      • One of the first standard types of automated visual grade-crossing warning was the automated flagman, a signal commonly known as a "wigwag." According to Santa Fe documents, the wigwag was adopted as a standard crossing device by the American Railway Association in 1923. A standard wigwag is...2003, Brian Solomon, “Grade Crossing Signals”, in Railroad Signaling, St. Paul, Minn.: Voyageur Press, →ISBN, page 147, column 1
  2. (US, historical) A signal sent by waving a flag to and fro.
    • Boy Scouts and others interested in visual signaling can practice indoors with this miniature wigwag sender.1932 August, Hubert E. Mishler, “Tiny Wigwag Machine Teaches Signaling with Flag”, in Raymond J. Brown, editor, Popular Science Monthly, volume 121, number 2, New York, N.Y.: Popular Science...

Verb

wigwag (third-person singular simple present wigwags, present participle wigwagging, simple past and past participle wigwagged)

  1. To move gently in one direction and then another; to wig or wiggle, to wag or waggle.
  2. An act of wigwagging.
    • Beautiful tails, O, beautiful tails, / Thy gentle wigwag is joyous and queer; / How to our hearts thy switchery tells / Tails of the past ever dear.1872, Charles T[hurber] Miller, Frog Opera, with Pollywog Chorus. A Burletta Founded upon the Nursery Tale and Old Song of A Frog He Would a Wooing Go, Boston, Mass.: Alfred Mudge & Son, printers...
    • We saw the daw get on the back of the sow. The tail of the sow went wig, wag, wig, wag, and all the daw did was Caw, caw, caw, caw.1871, George Gill, “Letter Exercises”, in The Illustrated Series of Technical Reading Books. First Standard (Gill's School Series), Liverpool: The Educational Trading Co., Limited, 9 & 10, St....
  3. To oscillate between two states.
    • Then the headlights swept around the last bend in the track and the train was bearing down on us from less than a block away. The engineer saw us and started leaning on the horn. He was going way too fast. The train whistle kept blaring as the white headlamp on the lead car wigwagged back and...2011, Stephen J[oseph] Cannell, Vigilante (A Shane Scully Novel; 11), New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's Press, →ISBN
  4. (US, historical) To send a signal by waving a flag to and fro.
    • He had no prearranged signals for explaining the presence of the two Americans, but when the planes returned to check his messages, he wigwagged: "No Japanese. No signs," and then led Krickel and his daughter to where they could be clearly seen. The lead plane dipped its wings alterately and flew...1988, James A[lbert] Michener, “The Railbelt”, in Alaska: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →ISBN; republished New York, N.Y.: Dial Press Trade Paperbacks, 2014, →ISBN, page 905
    • The steam whistle emitted three long blasts as the Carondelet headed into the stream, along with the echoing of sound from the signal cannon. As they passed each of the troop ships, a mighty cheer rose from the men. [General William Tecumseh] Sherman had a signalman wigwag a message of good luck...2007, Nelson A. Reed, “April 15, 1866: The Mississippi”, in With Your Shield Shining: A Novel of the Second Civil War 1863–1866, Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, →ISBN

Adverb

wigwag (not comparable)

  1. With a wigwagging or to-and-fro motion.

wigwag meaning in Urdu

wigwag in Urdu

جھنڈی ہلانا

Examples of wigwag in a sentence

  • Some vehicles with air brakes also use a wigwag low pressure indicator.2010, Mike Byrnes and Associates, “Air Brakes”, in Barron’s CDL: Commercial Driver’s License Truck Driver’s Test, 3rd edition, Hauppauge...
  • A standard wigwag is actuated by a track circuit and consists of a paddle with a red lamp that gracefully swings back and forth in a horizontal pattern when a train approaches.2003, Brian Solomon, “Grade Crossing Signals”, in Railroad Signaling, St. Paul, Minn.: Voyageur Press, →ISBN, page 147, column 1:
  • Simon says up; Simon says down; Simon says wigwag; all wigwag!1874, Abby Morton Diaz, “Letter XIX. Lucy Maria’s Answer to Maggie.”, in Lucy Maria, Boston, Mass.: James R. Osgood and Company, (late...
  • Environmental and health risks wigwagged by Rachel Carson and Jacques-Yves Cousteau led to the National Environmental Policy Act.1999, Edward Wenk, Jr., “Survival—to be Alive and Free”, in The Double Helix: Technology and Democracy in the American Future, Stamford...

Synonyms of wigwag

Forms of wigwag

Noun
pluralwigwags
alternative formwig-wag
Verb
third-person singular presentwigwags
present participlewigwagging
past participlewigwagged
pastwigwagged

Origin of wigwag

From wig (“to wag, waggle”) + wag (“to swing”). The noun is derived from the verb.

Words formed from wigwag

Questions about wigwag

What does wigwag mean?
Wigwag means any of a number of mechanical or electrical devices which cause a component to oscillate between two states.
What is wigwag in Urdu?
Wigwag in Urdu is جھنڈی ہلانا. See Wigwag meaning in Urdu.
How do you use wigwag in a sentence?
Some vehicles with air brakes also use a wigwag low pressure indicator.
What part of speech is wigwag?
Wigwag can be a noun, a verb or an adverb.
How do you pronounce wigwag?
Wigwag is pronounced /ˈwɪɡwaɡ/ (UK).
What is the plural of wigwag?
The plural of wigwag is wigwags.

Words near wigwag in the dictionary

  1. Wigston Magna
  2. Wigton
  3. Wigtons
  4. Wigtown
  5. Wigtownshire
  6. wigwag
  7. wigwagged
  8. wigwagger
  9. wigwaggers
  10. wigwagging
  11. wigwags

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: wigwag (page history and authors); wigwag (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wigwag.wav.

Cite this entry: “wigwag.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/wigwag. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.