wigwag
/ˈwɪɡˌwæɡ/
verb
- To move back and forth; to wag or wave.
- The toddler's hand would wigwag whenever she heard her favorite song.
- The dog's tail began to wigwag excitedly when its owner came home.
- The flagger used a red flag to wigwag a warning to approaching cars.
- To signal or communicate by waving a flag, light, or arm in a side-to-side motion.
- From the hilltop, the scout wigwagged an all-clear signal to the camp below.
- The soldiers learned to wigwag messages across the field using semaphore flags.
- During the emergency drill, the lifeguard wigwagged instructions to the swimmers.
noun
- A back-and-forth waving motion, especially as a signal.
- We could see the wigwag of the rescue team's flag from a distance.
- The old railroad crossing still used a mechanical wigwag to warn of oncoming trains.
- The train conductor gave a quick wigwag of his lantern to start the departure.