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jog 1 (jŏg)
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v. jogged, jog·ging, jogs
v.tr.
1. To move by shoving, bumping, or jerking; jar: a rough wagon ride that jogged the passengers.
2. To give a push or shake to; nudge: jogged her dozing companion with her elbow.
3. To rouse or stimulate as if by nudging: an old photo that might jog your memory.
4. To cause (a horse) to move at a leisurely pace.
v.intr.
1. To move with a jolting rhythm: The pack jogged against his back as he ran.
2. To move in a steady, slow trot: The horse jogged easily down the road.
3.
a. To run at a steady, moderate pace: The athletes jogged out to their positions on the playing field.
b. Sports To run in such a way for sport or exercise: She jogs every day after work for forty-five minutes.
4.
a. To go or travel at a slow or leisurely pace: The old car jogged along until it reached the hill.
b. To proceed in a leisurely manner: "while his life was thus jogging easily along" (Duff Cooper).
n.
1. A slight push or shake; a nudge.
2. A jogging movement or rhythm.
3. A slow steady trot.
4.
a. A steady, moderate running pace: He broke into a jog when he realized he was late.
b. A session of running at such a pace, as for exercise: She went out for a jog along the river.

[Perhaps alteration of Middle English shoggen, to shake, move with a jerk, perhaps alteration of shokken, to move rapidly, from Middle Low German schocken, to shake.]

jogger n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.