Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Zigzag for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Zigzag" — noun, pronounced /ˈzɪɡzæɡ/, with the stress on "zig".
Narrator: A zigzag is a line or path with short, sharp turns in alternating directions.
Narrator: In plain English, it is a back-and-forth line.
Narrator: It comes from German Zickzack, echoing the movement.
Narrator: A common collocation is "zigzag path", which describes a path that turns back and forth up a hill.
Narrator: It differs from "curve", because a zigzag has sharp corners, not smooth bends.
Narrator: In a second sense, the zigzag lines at a British crossing mean no parking or overtaking.
Narrator: Design, road safety, sewing and walking all rely on the word.
Narrator: So remember: a zigzag goes this way, then that.
Speaker A: Why does the path up the cliff wiggle?
Speaker B: It's a ZIGZAG! From German Zickzack.
Speaker A: Easier to climb?
Speaker B: Much gentler.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "A zigzag path up the hill", walking. "Don't park on the zigzag lines", driving. "Use a zigzag stitch", sewing.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Write it as one word, "zigzag", without a hyphen in British style.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Switchback is its cousin, chevron its twin, and meander an alternative — yet zigzag keeps its lively charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "zigzag" in AI prompts — useful for design and game movement.
Speaker A: How for design?
Speaker B: Patterns.
Prompt: Create a CSS zigzag border for the bottom of this banner.
Speaker A: And games?
Speaker B: Enemy paths.
Prompt: Make an enemy move in a zigzag towards the player.
Speaker A: Could it help road safety?
Speaker B: Yes, for lessons.
Prompt: Explain what zigzag lines near crossings mean for new drivers.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Sewing.
Prompt: Explain when to use a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine.
Zigzag — meaning in Arabic & definition More Z courses GL Dictionary