Gig
/ɡɪɡ/noun
A short performance, especially a job for a musician or performer; also a small light boat or a pointed fishing spear.
Did you know?The performer’s sense of gig is relatively modern slang, but the word also has an older, unrelated English life as a light boat or a pointed spear, showing how one tiny word can split into very different histories.
Etymological Timeline
14th Century
English
gigge
“A light, two-wheeled vehicle or a small boat in later use”
17th Century
English
gig
“A light boat, especially one used for racing or ferrying”
18th Century
English
gig
“A pointed fishing spear or similar implement”
Early 20th Century
English
gig
“A jazz performance or engagement for a performer”
Modern English
English
gig
“A short-term job or performance, especially in music or freelance work”