rig
/ɹɪɡ/ noun, verb
Also a form of ridge
- noun (nautical) The rigging of a sailing ship or other such craft.
- noun Special equipment or gear used for a particular purpose. “The climbers each had a different rig for climbing that particular rockface.”
- noun (US) A large truck, especially a semi-trailer truck. “Every rig at the truckstop had custom-made mud-flaps.”
- noun The special apparatus used for drilling wells.
- noun (informal) A costume or an outfit. “My sister and I always made our own rigs for Halloween.”
- noun (slang, computing) A personal computer, typically one modified for looks.
- noun An imperfectly castrated horse, sheep etc.
- noun (slang) Radio equipment, especially a citizen's band transceiver.
- verb (transitive, nautical) To equip and fit (a ship) with sails, shrouds, and yards.
- verb (transitive, manufacturing) To move (a heavy object) with the help of slings, hoists, block and tackle, levers, or similar equipment. “To rig such massive equipment requires experienced riggers”
- verb (transitive, informal) To dress or clothe in some costume.
- verb (transitive) To make or construct something in haste or in a makeshift manner. “rig up a makeshift shelter”
- verb (transitive) To manipulate something dishonestly for personal gain or discriminatory purposes. “to rig an election”
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To make free with; hence, to steal; to pilfer.
- verb (transitive, intransitive, animation) To outfit a model with controls for animation.
- noun (Northern England, Scotland, dialect) A ridge.
- noun (obsolete) A wanton person; one given to unbecoming conduct.
- noun A promiscuous woman.
- noun (obsolete) A sportive or unbecoming trick; a frolic.
- noun (obsolete) A blast of wind.
Synonyms
swing harlotize semiring trailer truck tractor trailer trucking rig articulated lorry semi rigging outfit getup turnout fishing gear tackle fishing tackle fishing rig carriage equipage swindle cheat set up manipulate set
Etymology
From Early Modern English rygge, probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Norwegian rigge (“to bind up; wrap around; rig; equip”), Swedish dialectal rigga (“to rig a horse”), Faroese rigga (“to rig; to equip and fit; to make s.th. function”). Possibly from Proto-Germanic *rik- (“to bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *rign-, *reyg- (“to bind”); or related to Old English *wrīhan, wrīohan, wrēohan, wrēon (“to bind; wrap up; cover”). See also wry (“to cover; clothe; dress; hide”).
See ridge.
Compare wriggle.
From ring (“algebraic structure”), omitting the letter n to suggest the lack of negatives. Compare rng (“structure like a ring but lacking a multiplicative identity”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A ridge. [Prov. or Scott.]
- verb To furnish with apparatus or gear; to fit with tackling.
- verb To dress; to equip; to clothe, especially in an odd or fanciful manner; --commonly followed by out. Jack was rigged out in his gold and silver lace. L'Estrange.
- noun The peculiar fitting in shape, number, and arrangement of sails and masts, by which different types of vessels are distinguished; as, schooner rig, ship rig, etc. See Illustration in Appendix.
Etymology [See Ridge.]
Etymology [Norweg. rigga to bind, particularly, to wrap round, rig; cf. AS. wrihan to cover.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “rig”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details