jigger

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a small glass adequate to hold a single swallow of whiskey
  2. noun any small mast on a sailing vessel; especially the mizzenmast of a yawl
  3. noun larval mite that sucks the blood of vertebrates including human beings causing intense irritation

Etymology

From jig + -er (agent suffix). Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary suggests a possible link to Old High German gīga (“fiddle”), for which see modern German Geige.

In classic literature

Synonyms

shot glass, pony

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