# wig

> English word · Noun · IPA /wɪɡ/ · frequency rank #12,352

## Definitions
1. A head of real or synthetic hair worn on the head to disguise baldness, for cultural or religious reasons, for fashion, or by actors to help them better resemble the character they are portraying.
2. A bigwig.
3. Among fishermen, an old seal.

## Etymology
Clipping of periwig, itself an alteration of French perruque. The meaning of "to reprimand" perhaps came from this being something a bigwig would do or perhaps from the expressions to flip one's wig, wigs on the green, or dash my wig!

## Easily confused with
- **Wu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wu)
- **wo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wo)
- **wt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wt)
- **WS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-ws)
- **WV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wv)
- **WL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wl)
- **wy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wy)
- **win** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-win)
- **won** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-won)
- **wow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wow)
- **WTF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wtf)
- **WWE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wwe)
- **wit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wit)
- **woo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-woo)
- **Wii** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wii)
- **WWW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-www)
- **woe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-woe)
- **wis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wis)
- **WTO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wto)
- **WWF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wwf)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/wig