gig
1 Americannoun
-
a single professional engagement of one or more performers, especially of jazz or rock musicians.
His band has a gig at a club in New Jersey.
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a live performance, as on a stage.
I went to see my friend's comedy gig.
-
any job, especially one of short or uncertain duration.
Years ago he had a teaching gig out west somewhere.
adjective
verb (used without object)
-
to work as a musician or other performer, especially in a single engagement.
That vocalist has gigged with some of the biggest names in the business.
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to work at any job, especially one of short or uncertain duration.
He gigs as a clown at children’s birthday parties.
noun
noun
-
a light, two-wheeled one-horse carriage.
-
Nautical.
-
a light boat rowed with four, six, or eight long oars.
-
a boat reserved for the use of the captain of a ship.
-
-
something that whirls.
-
Also called gig mill. a roller containing teasels, used for raising nap on a fabric.
-
Obsolete. whirligig.
verb (used without object)
-
to ride in a gig.
-
to raise the nap on (a fabric).
noun
-
a device, commonly four hooks secured back to back, for dragging through a school of fish to hook them through the body.
-
a spearlike device with a long, thick handle, used for spearing fish and frogs.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
an official report of a minor infraction of regulations, as in school or the army; a demerit.
-
a punishment for a minor infraction of rules.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a light two-wheeled one-horse carriage without a hood
-
nautical a light tender for a vessel, often for the personal use of the captain
-
a long light rowing boat, used esp for racing
-
a machine for raising the nap of a fabric
verb
-
(intr) to travel in a gig
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(tr) to raise the nap of (fabric)
noun
-
a cluster of barbless hooks drawn through a shoal of fish to try to impale them
-
short for fishgig
verb
noun
-
a job, esp a single booking for a musician, comedian, etc, to perform at a concert or club
-
the performance itself
verb
noun
Etymology
Origin of gig1
First recorded in 1925–30; origin uncertain
Origin of gig2
First recorded in 1985–90
Origin of gig3
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English gigge, gig “flighty girl, loose woman; awkward or boorish man”; akin to Danish gig “top”; compare Norwegian giga “to shake about”
Origin of gig4
First recorded in 1700–10; shortened from fishgig or fizgig
Origin of gig5
First recorded in 1940–45; origin uncertain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ahead of the ceremony, she warmed Manchester up with a radiant, candlelit charity gig at the city's Albert Hall venue on Thursday.
From BBC
Dean's show is one of a series of gigs in the run-up to this year's Brit Awards that support the charity Warchild - which helps millions of children affected by conflict around the world.
From BBC
The legislation also would make these new plans portable, meaning workers could keep the same account if they change jobs or hold several part-time, or “gig,” positions.
From Barron's
The 28-year-old previously said he created the event in response to the rising cost of festival and gig tickets.
From BBC
“For decades, Congress has tolerated a system in which nearly half of full-time workers and most part-time and gig workers lack access to a workplace retirement plan. Addressing that coverage gap is not trivial.”
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
