Also as two words or with hyphen; also 8 zic-zac, zigzac(k, ziczag. [ad. F. zigzag (1680 in Hatz.-Darm.); ultimate origin unknown; partly symbolic, the two different vowels suggesting the two different directions. Cf. G. zickzack (Sperander, 1727), said to be first used of fortifications (sense 3 a).]
A. sb.
1. A series of short lines inclined at angles in alternate directions; a line or course having sharp turns of this kind; concr. something characterized by such lines or turns. Orig. in phr. in zigzag (= F. en zigzag).
1712. J. James, trans. Le Blond’s Gardening, 42. Steps of Grass laid in Zic-Zac [Note, The French call this an Allée en Zic-Zac, for its Likeness to a Machine so called]. Ibid., 215. Chevrons, or Checks of Grass in Zig-Zac.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Alley, An Alley in Ziczac, is that which has too great a Descent.
1822. J. Parkinson, Outl. Oryctol., 139. The larger tubercles placed in zig-zag.
1892. E. Reeves, Homeward Bound, 299. Entering by the beautiful Gate of Justice, and winding in zigzag through the thickness of the tower.
1766. Colman & Garrick, Cland. Marr., II. ii. Here’s none of your strait lines here—but all taste—zig-zag—crinkum crankum—in and out.
1830. M. Donovan, Dom. Econ., I. 235. Twisted into a serpent, or bent into a zig-zag.
1856. Merivale, Rom. Emp., xl. IV. 495. The other [road] was practicable for carriages, and for this purpose was made to climb the acclivity with a zigzag.
1871. Nesbitt, Catal. Slade Coll. Glass, 6. Terminating with a turquoise zig-zag.
1880. Meredith, Tragic Com., xi. Dashing his finger in a fiery zig-zag along the line for her pen to follow.
1884. Ruskin, Pleas. Eng., iii. § 87 (1885), 121. The hieroglyphic use of the zigzag, for water, by the Egyptians.
b. Each of such lines or turns: chiefly in pl.
1728. Pope, Dunc., I. 124. Nonsense precipitate, like running Lend, That slipp’d thro’ Cracks and Zig-zags of the Head.
1775. Twiss, Trav. Port. & Sp., 64. A winding road, which forms thirteen zig-zags.
1833. L. Ritchie, Wand. Loire, 182. A cap, laced and ribanded in all manner of zig-zags.
a. 1861. Clough, Poems, Ite Domum Saturae, 11. The lightning zigzags shoot across the sky.
1865. G. Macdonald, Alec Forbes, lxxiv. The button made many a zigzag from side to side of the table.
1875. Bennett & Dyer, trans. Sachs’ Bot., 742. The grand curve of growth … does not assume the form of a continuous curve, but shows a number of small zigzags.
c. fig.
1781. Cowper, Conversation, 861.
| Though such continual zigzags in a book, | |
| Such drunken reelings, have an awkward look, | |
| And I had rather creep to what is true, | |
| Than rove and stagger with no mark in view. |
1796. Burke, Regic. Peace, ii. Wks. 1842, II. 311. The fanaticks going straight forward and openly, the politicians by the surer mode of zigzag.
1815. Jane Austen, Emma, xv. The little zigzags of embarrassment.
1913. Roosevelt, Autobiogr., xv. ¶ 8. The trouble is that our policy is apt to go in zigzags, because different sections of our people exercise at different times unequal pressure on our government.
2. A road or path turning sharply at angles in alternate directions, esp. so as to reduce the gradient on a steep slope; each of the sharp turns forming such a road.
1728. Swift, My Lady’s Lam., 184. How proudly he talks Of zigzags and walks.
1848. Thackeray, Bk. Snobs, vi. I thread the doubtful zig-zags of Mayfair.
1855. Alford, in Life (1873), 250. Up the valley of the Adour to Arreau, a village approached by zigzags.
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer, xiii. Many years before the Zig Zag [sc. railway in New South Wales] was chopped out of the sidelings.
3. Applied spec. to other things of a zigzag shape. a. Fortif. A trench leading towards a besieged place, constructed in a zigzag direction so as not to be enfiladed by the defenders; a boyau. b. Archit. A chevron-molding. c. Fishery. (See quot.)
a. 1733. Budgell, Bee, IV. 67. A Battery began in the Morning to play upon the Cavalier of the Bastion Ghiera; the Night following the Zic-zacs were continued.
1834–47. J. S. Macaulay, Field Fortif. (1851), 239. The zig-zags may often require a greater relief than the parallels.
b. 1814. Scott, Border Antiq., I. 59. The dancette, as the figure is termed in heraldry, or zig-zag.
1826. W. A. Miles, Deverel Barrow, 4. The chevron or zig zag, that favorite British ornament so prominent in Egyptian remains.
1884. Ruskin, Pleas. Eng., iii. § 87 (1885), 119. The Norman zigzag.
c. 1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Zigzag, a winding chute on the face of a dam to enable fish to ascend.
4. Collectors’ name for a shell, or a moth, with zigzag marking.
1815. S. Brookes, Conchol., 157. Zigzag, Cypræa Ziczac.
B. adj. 1. Having the form of a zigzag; turning sharply at angles in alternate directions; characterized by turns of this kind.
1750. Dobbs, in Phil. Trans., XLVI. 543. Striking it with a wriggling Motion from Side to Side, in a zigzag Way.
1767. Hamilton, ibid., LVIII. 11. Flashes of forked, or zig-zag lightning.
1784. Cowper, Task, II. 364. He … transforms old print To zig-zag manuscript.
1792. Wordsw., Descrip. Sketches, 236. Up from the lake a zigzag path will creep.
1835. Dickens, Sk. Boz, River. Away jogs the boat in a zigzag direction, every one of the six oars dipping into the water at a different time.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. ii. 11. A kind of zigzag channel had been worn on the side of the mountain.
fig. 1798. Mathias, Purs. Lit. (ed. 7), 327. Be regular: from A to B proceed; I hate your zig-zag verse, and wanton heed.
1861. J. Pycroft, Ways & Words, 192. The old joke of the zigzag jury who said ‘Guilty’ and ‘Not guilty’ alternately, all through the assizes.
1863. Cowden Clarke, Shaks. Char., vi. 145. All the brood of zig-zag politicians.
1897. Goschen, in Hansard’s Parl. Deb., XLVII. 597. Our policy is to have as little of the zigzag policy … as possible.
b. Archit. Applied to a molding or other ornament of a zigzag pattern: cf. A. 3 b.
c. 1765. Gray, Lett. to Bentham, Wks. 1825, II. 286. The chevron-work (or zig-zag moulding).
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 136. Channels in various forms, some plain zigzag, some like network, and some spiral.
1840. C. Wordsw., Greece, 58. Columns of green basalt, with fantastic zigzag ornaments.
c. Bot. Applied to the stem of a plant, or to a plant having such a stem.
1796. Martyn, Lang. Bot. (ed. 2), Zigzag, used by some English writers for Flexnose.
1796. Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 3), III. 579. Zigzag Ladies smock.
1819. Rees, Cycl., Zigzag Trefoil,… a term sometimes applied by farmers to the perennial red clover, marl grass, or wild red clover.
2. Having zigzag markings. (Chiefly Nat. Hist.)
1785. Latham, Gen. Syn. Birds, V. 61. Zigzag Bittern.
1796. Nemnich, Polygl.-Lex., 946. Zigzag chama, Venus castrensis.
3. Comb.
1758. Goldsm., Mem. Prot. (1895), II. 149. A Way very commodious cut, Zigzag Fashion.
1846. Brittan, trans. Malgaigne’s Man. Oper. Surg., 236. The interline is zigzag shaped.
1877. Huxley & Martin, Elem. Biol., 26. Its joints are bent zig-zag-wise.
C. adv. In a zigzag manner or direction.
c. 1730. Burt, Lett. N. Scot. (1754), II. 132. It is almost incredible … how nimbly they skin,… turning Zic Zac to such Places as are passable.
1764. Veicht, in Phil. Trans., LIV. 287. The lightening is observed to run not in strait line, but zig zag.
1846. Greener, Sci. Gunnery, 244. When he ignites a rocket, it may so straight forward, or zig-zag.
1862. Beveridge, Hist. India III. VIII. iv. 374. The road … led zigzag up the side of a precipitous mountain.
