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Added 9 October 2026

wig

/wɪɡ/ symbol

In Latin: capillamentum, caliandrum Wiktionary

symbol Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about wig at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

ISO 639-3 language code for Wik-Ngathana.

noun

A head of real or synthetic hair worn on the head to disguise baldness, for cultural or religious reasons, for fashion, or by actors to help them better resemble the character they are portraying.
A bigwig.
An old seal.

verb

To put on a wig; to provide with a wig (especially of an actor etc.).
To upbraid, reprimand.
To act in an extremely emotional way; to be overly excited, irritable, nervous, or fearful; behave erratically.
That guy must be high. Look how he's wigging.

interjection

An expression of shock. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Origin

Clipping of periwig, itself an alteration of French perruque. The meaning of "to reprimand" perhaps came from this being something a bigwig would do or perhaps from the expressions to flip one's wig, wigs on the green, or dash my wig!

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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