zag

1 of 2

noun

ˈzag 

1

a

: one of the sharp turns, angles, or alterations in a zigzag course

b

: one of the short straight lines or sections of a zigzag course at an angle to a zig

2

: zig sense 2

zag

2 of 2

verb

zagged; zagging

intransitive verb

: to execute a zag

—usually contrasted with zig

Synonyms

Verb

• break
• cut
• sheer
• swerve
• veer
• yaw
• zig

Examples of zag in a Sentence

Verb

the crowd roared as the clown on the bicycle zagged while the other clowns, in hot pursuit, zigged

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As a result, the trajectory toward the moon (and beyond) zigs and zags. —Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024

The swoops of cucumber tendrils and the zags of carnation leaves are examples of inherent, ubiquitous plant movements called circumnutations – from the Latin circum, meaning circle, and nutare, meaning to nod. —Chantal Nguyen, The Conversation, 13 Sep. 2024

Verb

In theory, that means when the market zigs, OHI actually zags, albeit by just a little. —Brett Owens, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024

The series’s willingness to blow up relationships, reveal hidden secrets, and zig the plot one way after setting it up to zag the other way give it a lot of options. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

zigzag

First Known Use

Noun

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1900, in the meaning defined above