zag — a sharp change of direction (especially the second in a series of two)
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a sharp change of direction (especially the second in a series of two)
Pronunciation (IPA): /zæɡ/
Example Sentences
- The mosquito zigged and zagged so much that I gave up trying to swat it.
- My diet plan tends to zig toward salad and zag toward pizza.
- The hiking trail zags sharply at the cliff edge.
zag
NOUN[/zæɡ/]
a sharp change of direction (especially the second in a series of two)

The rabbit zagged to the right and escaped the chasing fox.

When everyone else zigged left, the cyclist zagged right. (Think of the familiar pair: zig → zag : You don't zig twice. You zig, then zag.)

After a clever zag, the racer grabbed the flag and proudly bragged about the victory.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Zag emerged in the 18th century as an onomatopoeia alongside 'zig', coined to represent the sound or movement of a sharp directional change. The word was created to mimic the abrupt, zigzagging motion characteristic of sudden turns or lateral shifts.
Breakdown
Onomatopoeia representing movement — a sound word mimicking the sharp, sudden motion of a directional change or lateral zigzag movement.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The mosquito zigged and zagged so much that I gave up trying to swat it.”
“My diet plan tends to zig toward salad and zag toward pizza.”
“The hiking trail zags sharply at the cliff edge.”
“After zigging left, the runner zagged right to confuse the defender.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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