Skip to main content
PlainSpell

rig

/ɹɪɡ/noun, verb

rig is spelled R-I-G: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 7.2 times per million words in written English, the 8,784th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, rig means “The rigging of a sailing ship or other such craft” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of rig is rigs.

How many letters and syllables are in rig?

Letters3: R-I-G
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing7.2 times per million words; the 8,784th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is rig?

Rig appears 7.2 times per million words in written English, the 8,784th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce rig?

  • /ɹɪɡ/

Rig has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-rig.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of rig

  • rigs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • rigging participle, present
  • rigged participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does rig mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    The rigging of a sailing ship or other such craft.

  2. 2

    Special equipment or gear used for a particular purpose.

    The climbers each had a different rig for climbing that particular rockface.

  3. 3

    USA large truck, especially a semi-trailer truck.

    Every rig at the truckstop had custom-made mud-flaps.

  4. 4

    The special apparatus used for drilling wells.

  5. 5

    informalA costume or an outfit.

    My sister and I always made our own rigs for Halloween.

  6. 6

    slangA personal computer, typically one modified for looks.

  7. 7

    An imperfectly castrated horse, sheep etc.

  8. 8

    slangRadio equipment, especially a citizen's band transceiver.

  9. 9

    ScotlandA ridge.

  10. 10

    obsoleteA wanton person; one given to unbecoming conduct.

  11. 11

    A promiscuous woman.

  12. 12

    obsoleteA sportive or unbecoming trick; a frolic.

  13. 13

    obsoleteA blast of wind.

  14. 14

    An algebraic structure similar to a ring, but without the requirement that every element have an additive inverse.

verb

  1. 1

    To equip and fit (a ship) with sails, shrouds, and yards.

  2. 2

    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

  3. 3

    informalTo dress or clothe in some costume.

  4. 4

    To make or construct something in haste or in a makeshift manner.

    rig up a makeshift shelter

  5. 5

    To manipulate something dishonestly for personal gain or discriminatory purposes.

    to rig an election

  6. 6

    obsoleteTo make free with; hence, to steal; to pilfer.

  7. 7

    To outfit a model with controls for animation.

  8. 8

    obsoleteTo play the wanton; to act in an unbecoming manner; to play tricks.

noun

as RIG
  1. 1

    Initialism of rapid intervention group.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Rig in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchgréements (the arrangement of masts etc), foreuse (the special apparatus used for drilling oil…), costume, tenue (a costume or outfit), harnacher (to fit out with a harness), gréer (to equip and fit a ship)
GermanTakelage, Takelung (the arrangement of masts etc), Vorrichtung, Anlage, Ausrüstung, Gerätschaft (special equipment or gear)
Portuguesemastreação (the arrangement of masts etc), perfuratriz, perfuradora (the special apparatus used for drilling oil…), aparelhar (to equip and fit a ship), aparelhagem (special equipment or gear), manipular (to manipulate something dishonestly)
Spanishaparejo (the arrangement of masts etc), aparejar (to fit out with a harness), trucar, amañar, apañar, truquear (to manipulate something dishonestly)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does rig come from?

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”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after rig