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jig

jigs; jigging; jigged

A jig is a lively, festive kind of dance. When you do a jig, you spend a lot of time hopping, kicking, and shuffling your feet.

The jig is mainly associated with Ireland and Scotland, and it plays a big role in both traditional Irish dancing and Scottish country dancing. The jig also influenced 20th century African American tap and soft-shoe dance styles. You can also call the type of tune that's played to accompany the dance a jig. The source of jig is most likely the Middle French giguer, "to dance" or "to jump."

Definitions of jig
  1. noun
    any of various old rustic dances involving kicking and leaping
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    type of:
    folk dance, folk dancing
    a style of dancing that originated among ordinary people (not in the royal courts)
  2. noun
    music in three-four time for dancing a jig
    synonyms: gigue
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    type of:
    dance music
    music to dance to
  3. verb
    dance a quick dance with leaping and kicking motions
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    type of:
    dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe
    move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance
  4. noun
    a device that holds a piece of machine work and guides the tools operating on it
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    type of:
    device
    an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
  5. noun
    a fisherman's lure with one or more hooks that is jerked up and down in the water
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    type of:
    fish lure, fisherman's lure
    (angling) any bright artificial bait consisting of plastic or metal mounted with hooks and trimmed with feathers
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘jig'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Commonly confused words

gig / jig

Gig with a hard "g" is a job. Jig, on the other hand, is a dance. The kind a band might do when they land a gig headlining Madison Square Garden.

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