What does "gig" mean?
Gig: A top or whirligig; any little thing that is whirled round in play. Thou disputest like an infant; go, whip thy gig. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.A light carriage, with one pair of wheels, drawn by one horse; a kind of chaise.
- 3.(Naut.) A long, light rowboat, generally clinkerbuilt, and designed to be fast; a boat appropriated to the use of the commanding officer; as, the captain's gig.
- 4.(Mach.) A rotatory cylinder, covered with wire teeth or teasels, for teaseling woolen cloth. Gig machine, Gigging machine, Gig mill, or Napping machine. See Gig, 4. -- Gig saw. See Jig saw.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00