verb
wag
wag
verb
1
To swing repeatedly from side to side.
"The dog wagged its tail excitedly when its owner came home."
"She wagged her finger at the naughty puppy."
noun
1
A witty, joking person.
"He's the office wag, always cracking jokes in meetings."
2
Informal, chiefly British: the wife or girlfriend of a well-known sportsman.
"The tabloids love photographing footballers' wags at big matches."
How to Use Wag
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo swing back and forth (like a tail), or, as a noun, a joker — or, informally, a footballer's partner.
Common pairings
wag its tail
tongues wag
office wag
Word Forms
wagged past tense, wags plural, WAGs plural, wags singular
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He's the office _____, always cracking jokes in meetings.
Etymology
From Old English "wagian" (to shake or wave), reinforced by a similar Old Norse word — both from an ancient Germanic root meaning "to move".