trig

1 of 2

noun

ˈtrig

Synonyms of trig

: trigonometry

trig

2 of 2

adjective

: stylishly or jauntily trim

everything was trim and trig and bright—Mark Twain

: extremely precise : prim

dialectal, chiefly British : firm, vigorous

Examples of trig in a Sentence

Adjective to the office she wears trig two-piece suits that are fashionable but still businesslike

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

If your trig is hazy, just remember that all trig functions tell us about the ratio of sides for right triangles. —Rhett Allain, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2023

This video has more angles than your high school trig test. —Jason Lamphier, EW.com, 16 July 2021 There are a lot of advantages to the Babylonian trig system, according to Wildberger. —Annalee Newitz, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2017 According to the researchers, Plimpton 322 is a trig table, similar to the ones seen in every high school math textbook, except Plimpton 322 uses triangles instead of circles and angles. —Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, 25 Aug. 2017 Spanish II honors will be offered at HMS, and algebra II/trig honors be offered at CHMS, with District 181 providing transportation for students traveling between buildings. —Chuck Fieldman, chicagotribune.com, 27 June 2017 There are 13 students scheduled to take algebra II/trig honors and five for Spanish II honors. —Chuck Fieldman, chicagotribune.com, 27 June 2017

Adjective

If your trig is hazy, just remember that all trig functions tell us about the ratio of sides for right triangles. —Rhett Allain, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2023 Any student who is not interested in seeing a drag queen, or whose parents forbid them from seeing one, or who believes Lady Gaga songs are played out, or has too much trig to make up, can skip the event. —Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Apr. 2023 By using the Law of Sines, and avoiding the Pythagorean theorem’s trig identity (sin²α + cos²α = 1), Johnson and Jackson successfully proved the theorem without resorting to circular reasoning. —Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 31 Mar. 2023 The oldest way is to just look them up in a trig table. —Rhett Allain, Wired, 14 Mar. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

by shortening

Adjective

Middle English, trusty, nimble, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse tryggr faithful; akin to Old English trēowe faithful — more at true entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1878, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1513, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of trig was in 1513

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

trifurcate

trig

triga

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Trig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trig. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

trig

noun

ˈtrig

: trigonometry

trig

noun

adjective

Synonyms

Examples of trig in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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trig

noun

adjective

Synonyms

Examples of trig in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for trig

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Share

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

neologism

Popular in Grammar & Usage

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

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More Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Popular Features

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

Games & Quizzes