noun

jig

jihg

noun

A lively folk dance, or the fast tune written for it, typically in 6/8 time.

"The band struck up a jig and the whole room started dancing."

"She learned to dance an Irish jig as a child."

A tool or frame used to hold a workpiece steady and guide a cutting tool in exactly the same way each time.

"The carpenter built a simple jig to cut identical notches in every board."

A type of fishing lure with a weighted hook, jerked up and down in the water.

"He tied on a bright jig to try to tempt the bass."

verb

To move with quick, bouncing, jerky motions.

"The toddler jigged around impatiently while waiting for lunch."

How to Use Jig

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMainly a fast folk dance/tune, a workshop tool for repeating identical cuts, or a bouncing fishing lure.

Common mistake

The phrase "the jig is up" (meaning a scheme has been discovered) uses a different, older sense of jig meaning "a trick."

Common pairings

dance a jig cutting jig jig and reel the jig is up

jigged past tense, jigs plural, jigs plural, jigs singular

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The band struck up a _____ and the whole room started dancing.

Origin uncertain; possibly related to an Old French word for a fiddle, since jigs were traditionally fiddle tunes.