gig

1 of 9

noun (1)

plural gigs
: a job usually for a specified time
especially : an entertainer's engagement see also gig economy, gig worker

gig

2 of 9

verb (1)

gigged; gigging

intransitive verb

: to work as a musician
gigged with various bandsDownbeat

gig

3 of 9

noun (2)

gig

4 of 9

noun (3)

1
a
: a long light ship's boat
b
: a rowboat designed for speed rather than for work
2
: a light 2-wheeled one-horse carriage
3
: something that whirls or is whirled: such as
a
: a 3-digit selection in a numbers game
b
obsolete : top, whirligig
4
: a person of odd or grotesque appearance

gig

5 of 9

verb (2)

gigged; gigging

intransitive verb

: to travel in a gig

gig

6 of 9

noun (4)

1
: a pronged spear for catching fish
2
: an arrangement of hooks to be drawn through a school of fish in order to hook their bodies

gig

7 of 9

verb (3)

gigged; gigging

transitive verb

1
: to spear with a gig
2
a
chiefly Western US : spur, jab
b

intransitive verb

: to fish with a gig

gig

8 of 9

noun (5)

: a military demerit

gig

9 of 9

verb (4)

gigged; gigging

transitive verb

: to give a military gig to

Examples of gig in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Last October, Lynne confirmed that the band’s Hyde Park gig would be their last. Emlyn Travis Published, EW.com, 14 July 2025 Cuban found out about the beverage on reality TV, while the former Los Angeles Laker was aware of the ready-to-drink beverage after seeing it at concerts and his DJ gigs. Mark Gray, People.com, 13 July 2025
Verb
No one will be buying a new car to gig for Waymo, of course. Wired Staff, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2024 Soon, the band was gigging outside of the region, playing venues within an eight-hour-drive radius. Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for gig

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (3)

Middle English -gyge (in whyrlegyge whirligig), of unknown origin

Noun (4)

short for earlier fizgig, fishgig, of unknown origin

Noun (5)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1926, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1937, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1987, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb (2)

1807, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1722, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (3)

1803, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (5)

circa 1941, in the meaning defined above

Verb (4)

circa 1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gig was in 1570

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gig. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

gig

1 of 3 noun
1
: a long light boat
2
: a light two-wheeled one-horse carriage

gig

2 of 3 noun

gig

3 of 3 noun
: a job for a specified time
especially : an entertainer's job for a specified time

More from Merriam-Webster on gig

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!