wriggle

 
Pronunciation: /ˈrɪg(ə)l/

verb

  • 1twist and turn with quick writhing movements: [no object]: she kicked and wriggled but he held her firmly [with object]: she wriggled her bare, brown toes
  • [no object, with adverbial of direction] move in a particular direction with wriggling movements: Susie wriggled out of her clothes
  • 2 [no object] (wriggle out of) avoid (something) by devious means: don’t try and wriggle out of your contract

noun

  • a wriggling movement: she gave an impatient little wriggle

Derivatives

wriggler

noun

wriggly

adjective (wrigglier, wriggliest)

Origin:

late 15th century: from Middle Low German wriggelen, frequentative of wriggen 'twist, turn'