Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Sense: 1
Date: 1500-1600
Origin: Perhaps from waghalter 'person likely to be hanged' (16-17 centuries), from wag + halter 'noose'
Sense: 2
Date: 1500-1600
Origin: WAG1

wag

2 noun
     
wag2
1 [countable] old-fashioned someone who says or does something clever and amusing:
Some wag had drawn a face on the wall.
2 [countable usually singular] a wagging movement
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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