# trig

Pronunciation: say "TRIG" /tɹɪɡ/

## Noun

1. The branch of mathematics concerned with triangles and the relationships between their angles and side lengths. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: The math subject that deals with triangles and how their angles and sides connect.
   - _Trig is essential for anyone studying engineering or physics._
   - _She breezed through trig but struggled with calculus._
2. A permanent survey marker, typically a concrete pillar set on high ground, used as a reference point for mapping and measuring land. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A fixed marker, often a concrete pillar on a hill, used to help measure and map land.
   - _The surveyor recorded her position relative to the nearest trig._
   - _From the trig you can see three counties on a clear day._
3. A type of fat present in the blood and in food, commonly measured to assess a person's health risks. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A type of fat found in your blood and food, which doctors often check in tests.
   - _Her trigs came back elevated, so the clinic recommended dietary changes._
   - _He tracks his trig numbers alongside his cholesterol every few months._
6. A stone, block of wood, or similar object placed under a wheel or barrel to keep it from moving. *(UK)*
   - Simple: A stone or block of wood put under a wheel or barrel to stop it from moving.
   - _The carter wedged a trig behind each wheel before unhitching the horse._
   - _A stray trig had worked loose, and the wagon began to drift downhill._
8. A small cricket belonging to the family Trigonidiidae.
   - Simple: A kind of small cricket, part of a family of chirping insects.
   - _The naturalist recorded a trig singing among the reeds._
   - _Trigs are far smaller than the field crickets most people recognize._
12. The line or mark from which players throw or bowl in games such as skittles.
   - Simple: A line or mark that players stand at when they throw in a game like skittles.
   - _Each player toed the trig before launching the cheese at the skittles._
   - _The umpire marked a fresh trig across the worn patch of grass._
13. A man overly concerned with his fine clothes and appearance; a dandy or coxcomb. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: A man who dresses in a showy way and is very proud of his looks.
   - _A proper trig, he never stepped outside without a flower in his lapel._
   - _The village trigs paraded along the green in their finest._

## Adjective

4. Neat, tidy, and well-groomed in appearance; trim and smartly turned out. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: Neat and tidy in how something looks, clean and well kept.
   - _The sailors kept the deck trig and orderly._
   - _Her appearance was always trig, never a hair out of place._
5. Firm, steady, and sound; in good physical condition or health. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: Firm, steady, and in good shape, healthy and strong.
   - _The boat remained trig and watertight through the storm._
   - _Despite his age, he kept himself trig and able._
9. Safe and secure; free from danger or risk. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: Safe and secure, out of danger.
   - _The harbor kept the small boats trig through the gale._
   - _With the money safely banked, she felt trig at last._
10. True, trusty, and faithful; able to be relied upon. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: True and able to be trusted, loyal and faithful.
   - _A trig servant, he never once betrayed his master's confidence._
   - _They valued him as a trig and steadfast ally._
11. Active and clever; quick in movement or in mind. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: Lively, quick-moving, and clever.
   - _A trig and nimble lad, he was first up every ladder._
   - _The trig terrier outwitted every rabbit on the farm._

## Verb

7. To stop a wheel, barrel, or similar object by placing a block or stone beneath it.
   - Simple: To stop a wheel or barrel by putting something under it.
   - _She trigged the heavy cask with a wedge of oak._
   - _Trig the wheels firmly before unloading on the slope._
14. To fill, stuff, or cram something until it is full.
   - Simple: To fill something completely, or to stuff or cram it full.
   - _They trigged the barn with hay before the first frost._
   - _He would trig his pipe and settle by the fire each evening._

## Origin

**Meanings 4–5, 9–11, 13** — This word came from Middle English trig, from Old Norse tryggr ("loyal, faithful, true"), from Proto-Germanic *triwwiz. It is related to Old English trīewe ("faithful, loyal, true") and to the word true.
**Meanings 1–2** — A clipping of trigonometry.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/trig (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).