Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Definition: Gig |
GigNoun1. Long and light rowing boat; especially for racing. 2. An implement with a shaft and barbed point used for catching fish. 3. A cluster of hooks (without barbs) that is drawn through a school of fish to hook their bodies; used when fish are not biting. 4. Tender that is a light ship's boat; often for personal use of captain. 5. Small two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage; with two seats and no hood. 6. A booking for musicians; "they played a gig in New Jersey". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "gig" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1594. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Computing | Gig /jig/ or /gig/ n. [SI] See {quantifiers. Source: Jargon File. |
Dream Interpretation | To run a gig in your dream, you will have to forego a pleasant journey to entertain unwelcome visitors. Sickness also threatens you. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Literature | Gig (g hard). A whipping top, made like a ?. "Thou disputest like an infant. Go, whip thy gig." - Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost, v. 1. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Mining | A. A mine cage or skip. (references) |
Slang | Noun. Source: Unclear. (Please note that "gig" in standard English refers to a horse drawn carriage rather than a music performance.). Definition: A paid job for professional musicians. Context: The term "gig" is applied to all types of music performance--classical, jazz, or popular, for instance--and would often be heard when hiring other musicians to play a job, or when referring to a musician's personal schedule . Social Source: West Coast musicians. Source: Compiled by The University of Oregon. (additional references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
GIG | English | Rio de Janeiro | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonyms: GigSynonyms: fishgig (n), fizgig (n), lance (n), spear (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Ship | Boat, pinnace, launch; life boat, long boat, jolly boat, bum boat, fly boat, ferry oat, canal boat; swamp boat, ark, bully, bateau battery, broadhorn, dory, droger, drogher; dugout, durham boat, flatboat, galiot; shallop, gig, funny, skiff, dingy, scow, cockleshell, wherry, coble, punt, cog, kedge, lerret; eight oar, four oar, pair oar; randan; outrigger; float, raft, pontoon; prame; iceboat, ice canoe, ice yacht. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Gig |
| English words defined with "gig": Dennet ♦ Jig saw ♦ Tilbury. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "gig": Gig-lamps, Gig-manity, GRUNTER'S GIG ♦ k- ♦ MOLL PEATLY'S GIG. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "gig": Whirligig. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Gig" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. German (gig), Romanian (gig). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Goin' undercover's part of the gig, Ingrid (Fillmore!; writing credit: Ada Gourbali) The Boston gig has been cancelled (This Is Spinal Tap; writing credit: Christopher Guest; Michael McKean) Y'know, it's not like Peter to take off in the middle of a gig. (The Monkees; writing credit: Dee Caruso; Gerald Gardner) This is our second gig. (Woodstock; writing credit: Derek Ford; Donald Ford) That was a weird gig. I fed off a flower person and I spent the next six hours watching my hand move (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; writing credit: Doreen Spicer) | |
Lyrics | It's hard to play a gig in this town (Lullaby; performing artist: Shawn Mullins) And when I'm throwin' a gig (Baby Got Back; performing artist: SIR MIX-A-LOT) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Edge's Gig (2000) Hell Gig (1999) The Big Gig (1989) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Periodicals |
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Music |
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High Tech |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
![]() | A view inside of Gig Harbor. Credit: America's Coastlines. | ![]() | A view of Mt. Rainier from Gig Harbor - looking east. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
![]() | The Olympic Range is silhouetted in this sunset view from Gig Harbor. Credit: America's Coastlines. | ![]() | Fox Island and a silhouette of the Olympic Range as seen from Gig Harbor at sunset. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
![]() | Gig Harbor as seen over burled cedar driftwood. Credit: America's Coastlines. | ![]() | Moon beams on the still waters of Gig Harbor. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
![]() | Moonrise over Gig Harbor as salmon fishermen try their luck in the shallows off the spit. Pleasure boaters are returning to harbor as the day ends. Mt. Rainier is visible in the left center. Credit: America's Coastlines. | ![]() | View of Mount Rainier at sunset from Gig Harbor. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
![]() | Driftwood at Gig Harbor. Credit: America's Coastlines. | ![]() | Random rocks and barnacle picked up on the beach at Gig Harbor. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
![]() | ![]() |
| "Gig shots 6" by Guiga Müller Commentary: "Dramatic, huh?!?!." | "Gig Brown Eye" by vares Commentary: "Big brown eye of a female." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| "Gig" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Gig" is used about 565 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 565 | 11,124 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "gig": Gig Harbor ♦ Gig machine ♦ Gig mill ♦ Gig saw ♦ racing gig. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "gig": gig-cart, gig-goer, gig-goers, gig-going, gig-lamps, gig-mill, gig-type. | |
Ending with "gig": post-gig, Sheela-na-gig, Whirl-y-gig. | |
Containing "gig": soundcheck-hotel-gig-hotel-travel-hotel. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
gig harbor washington | 515 | 6 gig | 13 |
gig gangel | 161 | flounder gig | 13 |
gig | 148 | hotel gig harbor | 13 |
gig harbor | 135 | gig poster | 12 |
gig harbor real estate | 60 | 120 gig hard drive | 12 |
gig bag | 48 | bed and breakfast gig harbor | 11 |
gig young | 45 | sheela na gig | 11 |
gig guide | 26 | whirly gig | 11 |
gig harbor high school | 25 | gig model | 10 |
frog gig | 24 | trumpet gig bag | 10 |
the inn at gig harbor | 22 | 80 gig hard drive | 10 |
big pig gig | 22 | gig harbor newspaper | 9 |
city of gig harbor | 21 | gig harbor realty | 9 |
gig magazine | 18 | chamber commerce gig harbor | 9 |
20 gig hard drive | 16 | 1 compact flash gig | 9 |
guitar gig bag | 15 | 10 gig hard drive | 9 |
gig green | 15 | gig hollywood | 8 |
gig harbor sales yacht | 14 | gig harbor home | 8 |
40 gig hard drive | 13 | gig finder | 8 |
ez gig | 13 | gangle gig | 8 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "gig"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | kaloshin (buggy, carriole, carryall, chaise, cutter, hansom cab, trap), fuzhnjë (fish-fork, harpoon), angazhim për një natë. (various references) | |
Arabic | قارب محفوظ لربان السفينة, عربة بعجلتين, أزعج (ail, annoy, beset, bother, burn, discompose, disquiet, disrupt, distress, disturb, get in the way, get on smb.'s nerves, gnaw, grate, hamper, harass, importune, incommode, inconvenience, infest, intrude, irk, irritate, jolt, molest, nag, niggle, obsess, offend, pain, peck, peeve, perturb, pester, plague, possess, prickle, put out, rasp, rattle, ruffle, saddle, torment, trouble, upset, vex). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | риболовна вила, харпун (gaff, harpoon, iron, spear), лодка за състезания по гребане, лека бърза корабна лодка, лебедка (gin, hoist, winch), подемник (elevator, hoist), двуколка (buggy, cabriolet, cart, tumbrel, tumbril, whisky). (various references) | |
Czech | lehký dvoukolý koèár. (various references) | |
Danish | vegetabilsk tidselruning (teasel gig). (various references) | |
Farsi | فرفره (Spin, Whirligig), هرچیزچرخنده , نیزه ماهی گیری , نیزه (Dart, Gad, Gaff, Harpoon, Lance, Shaft, Spear), چیزغریب وخنده دار, نوعی کرجی پاروءی یابادبانی , کردن (Braid, Do, Fold, Grade, Ground, Hatch, Have, Hinder, Joint, List, Lob, Pass, Peer, Perform, Pickup, Poop, Ramble, Rest, Set, Settle, Stick, Tag, Thread, Tip), قایق پاروءی سریع السیر, سیخ زدن 2 (Poke, Prod, Yerk), خنده دار (Comic, Hilarious, Laughable, Queer, Ridiculous, Waggish), خوابدارکردن , ادم غریب , شوخی (Bob, Curvet, Fun, Game, Humor, Jape, Jest, Jink, Jocosity, Joke, Lark, Pleasantry, Prank, Quiz, Sport, Spree, Witticism), درشکه تک اسبه که دوچرخ دارد, بازوبین ماهی گرفتن . (various references) | |
Finnish | ahrain (fish gig). (various references) | |
French | petit canon, faire ennuyer, cabriolet. (various references) | |
German | gigboot, gig. (various references) | |
Greek | σβούρα (teetotum, top, whirligig), συναυλία (concert, concerto, recital), λέμβοσ πλοίου (pinnace), λέμβοσ (boat, canoe, cutter, dinghy, gondola, row boat, shallop, skiff, yawn), αμάξιο, δίτροχο μονίππο όχημα. (various references) | |
Hebrew | חלטורה (bust, hackwork, shoddy work). (various references) | |
Hungarian | több ágú szigony, meló (sweat, swelter), könnyû bricska (side-car), kétkerekű lovas kocsi, evezős csónak fajta. (various references) | |
Italian | fiocina (harpoon, lance, spear), calessino (buggy), calesse (barouche, buggy, calash, chaise, curricle, fly, trap). (various references) | |
Manx | curraghan, carriads daa-wheeyllagh. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | iggay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | trole (trolley), cabriolé (cab, cabriolet, chaise, fly, shay), biga (chariot, girder), arpão (creeper, gaff), apresentação (appearance, cover page, exhibit, exhibition, introduction, lodgement, lodgment, presentation, presentment, production, putting, submission). (various references) | |
Romanian | gig, trãsurã (cab, carriage, chaise, Clarence, coach, conveyance, four wheeler, four-in-hand, hyphen, phaeton), suliţã pentru pescuit, pieptene mecanic, ostie (spear), iolã (jolly boat, yawl), harpon (gaff, harpoon, spear), cabrioletã (cab, cabriolet, spider). (various references) | |
Russian | кабриолет (buggy, cabriolet), острога (fish-fork, gaff, harpoon, lance, leister), подъемная машина (lift). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | lak veslački čamac, harpun (fish-fork, harpoon, whaling gun), dvokolice (quadriga, tumbrel, tumbril), čupara. (various references) | |
Spanish | trabajo temporal (Chare), lancha (boat, launch), concierto (concert, concerto, feast), canoa (canoe, pirogue), calesín, calesa (buggy, calash, caleche), actuación (action, appear, doings, emerge, manner, occur, operation, performance, show, showing). (various references) | |
Swedish | lätt tvåhjulig vagn. (various references) | |
Thai | แทงด้วยฉมวก, อาชีพชั่วครวว, การแสดงดนตรีแจ๊ส, ตะขอ (gaff, hook), ข้อบกพร่อง (limitation). (various references) | |
Turkish | zıpkın (eelspear, gaff, gun harpoon, harpoon, lance, spear, spear gun), tek atlı araba, sahneye çıkma (entrance, entry), kısa süreli iş, iş (activity, affair, appointment, assignment, ball game, billet, biz, business, calling, cause, commerce, concern, dealing, deed, doing, doings, employment, ergo-, function, handiwork, job, metier, mission, occupation, occupational, operation, piece, piece of work, place, ploy, post, profession, pursuit, racket, regulation, shop, show, spindle, stint, task, things to do, trade, work, working, workings, works), flika. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | командирська шлюпка, кабріолет (buggy, cab, cabriolet), лебідка (hoist, winch, windlass). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Middle English | 1100-1500 | ghyg. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "gig": giga, gigabit, gigabits, gigabyte, gigabytes, gigaflop, gigaflops, gigahertz, gigantesque, gigantic, gigantically, gigantism, gigantisms, gigas, gigaton, gigatons, gigawatt, gigawatts, gigged, gigging, giggle, giggled, giggler, gigglers, giggles, gigglier, giggliest, giggling, gigglingly, giggly, gighe, giglet, giglets, giglot, giglots, gigolo, gigolos, gigot, gigots, gigs, gigue, gigues. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "gig": fishgig, fizgig, whirligig. (additional references) | |
Words containing "gig": fishgigs, fizgigs, whirligigs. (additional references) | |
| |
"Gig" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Ga'g, gagg, Gdi, geeg, geega, geg, gegn, Gegu, Geogg, gerg, gfi, gg, ggg, ggt, ghg, Ghiz, gia, gic, Gid, gieg, giga, gige, gigg, Gigha, gigi, gigm, gign, gigo, gigy, gih, gii, giif, Giii, gij, gik, gio, Gip, giq, gir, Girga, gis, giu, giv, giw, gix, giy, giz, gmi, gogu, gpi, grig, grigg, guig, Guigma, guigo, guj, Gxi, gyb, gyf, gyt, ig, Igf, Iggfc, iggt, iggy, Igw, Oggi, oig, Qgi, vig. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "gig" (pronounced gi"g) |
| 2 | -i" g | big, Brig, dig, fig, jig, Mig, pig, prig, renege, rig, swig, trig, twig, Vig, whig, wig, zig. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words containing the letters "g-g-i" | |
+1 letter: giga, gigs, grig, migg. | |
+2 letters: aggie, aging, gigas, gighe, gigot, gigue, going, grigs, miggs, piggy, wiggy. | |
+3 letters: ageing, aggies, agings, baggie, bagwig, bigger, biggie, biggin, bigwig, caging, digged, digger, doggie, edging, egging, figged, fizgig, gaeing, gaging, gaming, gaping, gating, gazing, geeing, gibing, gieing, gigged, giggle, giggly, giglet, giglot, gigolo, gigots, gigues, gingal, ginger, gingko, ginkgo, giving, gluing, goings, goring, greige, grigri, gringo, guying, gybing, gyring, gyving, haggis, higgle, jigged, jigger, jiggle, jiggly, leggin, loggia, loggie, luggie, luging, miggle, moggie, niggle, noggin, ogling, paging, pigged, piggie, piggin, raging, rigged, rigger, twiggy, urging, veggie, waging, wigged, wiggle, wiggly, wigwag, zigged, zigzag. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Usage Frequency 10. Expressions 11. Expressions: Internet 12. Translations: Modern | 13. Translations: Ancient 14. Abbreviations 15. Acronyms 16. Derivations | 17. Rhymes 18. Anagrams 19. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.