Zigzag is a reduplication word, which is a word that is formed through the repetition of sounds. It is also a compound word, which is a term made up of two or more words that when used together have a different meaning than the literal interpretation of the separate words. We will look at the definition of the word zigzag, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences.
Zigzag means a line or path that consists of alternating sharp turns to the left and right. Zigzag may be used as an adjective, adverb, noun or verb, related words are zigzags, zigzagged, zigzagging. Zigzag is a closed compound word, which is a word composed of two separate words that were used together so often that they eventually became melded into one word. Zigzag was once a hyphenated word, and is still sometimes seen spelled as zig-zag, especially in older works, though the Oxford English Dictionary only lists the unhyphenated spelling. The word zigzag is derived from the French word zigzag, which is possibly derived from the German term zickzack, which is most probably a reduplication of the word zacke which means prong or tooth.
Examples
Now fashion experts say the popularity of this season’s zigzag ‘hanky hemline,’ which has shorter and longer sections as it falls in points resembling the corners of a handkerchief, reflects the nation’s uncertainty over whether Brexit will be a success or a failure for the British economy and fashion industry. (The Daily Mail)
They were the first to introduce the “Zigzag” machine and the first electronic machine. (The Daily Herald)
GI movie heroes could run zigzag through withering machine gun fire and receive no more than a significant hole in a steel helmet. (Stillwater News Press)