Jig

Jig

Noun / Verb · /dʒɪɡ/

Definition

(Noun) a lively dance with a jumping or springy step; the music for such a dance in triple or compound time; a device that guides a tool or holds a workpiece in position; (Verb) to dance a jig; to move quickly and jerkily up and down.

Origin

From Old French giguer (to jump, to frolic), related to gigue (a fiddle, a lively dance). Used in English from the late 16th century. The mechanical sense (a device for guiding tools) developed separately from the dance sense.