gig

1 of 9

noun (1)

ˈgig 

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 bands …

—DownBeat

gig

3 of 9

noun (2)

: gigabyte

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

: goad, provoke

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

Noun

Whether cast as an endearing tough guy or a wrestling villain, DeCosta is ultimately judged on performance — and the draft is his headlining gig. —Michael Silver, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

The former head coach at Oregon and UCLA, as well as for two NFL teams, headed to Evanston after OC gigs at Ohio State in 2024 and with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. —Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026

Verb

The guitarist kept gigging, earning extra money by working as a roadie for the Spencer Davis Group, the high-octane R&B outfit featuring a teenage Steve Winwood on keyboard and guitar. —Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026

But entry barriers undermine the flexibility that draws many people to gig work in the first place. —Andrew Garin, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026

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)

1908, 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

Phrases Containing gig

• gig economy
• gig worker

Rhymes for gig

• big
• brig
• brigg
• dig
• fig
• jig
• mig
• pig
• prig
• rig
• sprig
• swig

Kids Definition

gig

1 of 3 noun

ˈgig 

1

: a long light boat

2

: a light two-wheeled one-horse carriage

gig

2 of 3 noun

: gigabyte

gig

3 of 3 noun

: a job for a specified time

especially : an entertainer's job for a specified time