English word origin

Etymology of trig

From Middle English trig, tryg, from Old Norse tryggr (“loyal, faithful, true”), from Proto-Germanic *triwwiz (“loyal, faithful, true”). Cognate with Old English trīewe (“faithful, loyal, true”). More at true.

6 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 6 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

adj

True; trusty; trustworthy; faithful. · Safe; secure. · Tight; firm; steady; sound; in good condition or health. · Neat; tidy; trim; spruce; smart.

noun

A dandy; coxcomb.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentiontrigenm
Derivation mentiontryggrnon
Derivation mention*triwwizgem-pro
Cognate mentiontrīeweang

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Trigonometry. · A trig point.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of trigonometry.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

verb

To stop (a wheel, barrel, etc.) by placing something under it; to scotch; to skid.

noun

A stone, block of wood, or anything else, placed under a wheel or barrel to prevent motion; a scotch; a skid. · The mark for players at skittles, etc.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See trigger.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

verb

To fill; to stuff; to cram.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Compare Danish trykke (“to press”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Cognate mentiontrykkeda

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗

noun

Triglyceride.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 6

Original entry ↗

noun

A cricket in the family Trigonidiidae.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for trig →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

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Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-dHJpZw