zigzag

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A line or course that proceeds by sharp turns in alternating directions.
2. n. One of a series of such sharp turns.
3. n. Something, such as a road or design, that exhibits one or a series of sharp turns.
4. adj. Moving in or having a zigzag.
5. adv. In a zigzag manner or pattern.
6. v. To move in or form a zigzag: a destroyer zigzagging to evade torpedos.
7. v. To cause to move in or form a zigzag.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A sharp turning back and forth or in and out; an irregular, abrupt angulation; one of a series of sharp turns in a linear or curvilinear course: nearly always in the plural.
2. n. A formation with a succession of sharp turnings or angles; something that has a number of abrupt angulations, like those of chain-lightning.
3. n. Specifically.
4. n. A winding path with sharp turns, as up the side of a steep mountain.
5. n. In fortification, a trench of approach against a fortress, so constructed that the line of trench may not be enfiladed by the defenders: same as boyau.
6. n. In architecture, same as chevron, 2.
7. n. In the fisheries, a salmon-stair or fish way.
8. n. In entomology, a British moth, Bombyx dispar.
9. Having sharp and quick turns or flexures; turning frequently back and forth; in botany, angularly bent from side to side.
10. In a zigzag manner; with frequent sharp turns.
11. To move or advance in a zigzag fashion; form zigzags in a course; turn sharply back and forth.
12. To form in zigzags, or with short turns or angles.

Wiktionary

1. n. a line or path that proceeds by sharp turns in alternating directions
2. n. one of such sharp turns
3. adj. Moving in, or having a zigzag.
4. v. to move in a zigzag manner
5. adv. in a zigzag manner or pattern

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Something that has short turns or angles.
2. n. (Arch.) A molding running in a zigzag line; a chevron, or series of chevrons. See Illust. of Chevron, 3.
3. n. (Fort.) See Boyau.
4. adj. Having short, sharp turns; running this way and that in an onward course.
5. v. To form with short turns.
6. v. To move in a zigzag manner; also, to have a zigzag shape.

WordNet 3.0

1. adj. having short sharp turns or angles
2. adv. in a zigzag course or on a zigzag path
3. adj. having short sharp turns or angles
4. v. travel along a zigzag path
5. n. an angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions