"bigwig" meaning in English

See bigwig in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈbɪɡ.wɪɡ/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bigwig.wav [Southern-England] Forms: bigwigs [plural]
enPR: bĭgʹwĭg Rhymes: -ɪɡ Etymology: First arose in the 1730s, from big + wig. Formerly, English men of authority wore wigs. Bigwig plays on the idea that higher authority is denoted by a larger wig. Etymology templates: {{af|en|big|wig}} big + wig Head templates: {{en-noun}} bigwig (plural bigwigs)
  1. (humorous) A person of importance to a group or organization. Tags: humorous Categories (topical): People Synonyms: big cheese, VIP, important person, big wig, big-wig Translations (A person of importance): velké zvíře [neuter] (Czech), papaláš [masculine] (Czech), hoge ome (Dutch), bobo (Dutch), dikkop [Belgium, masculine] (Dutch), suur nina (Estonian), tähtis tegelane (Estonian), pamppu (Finnish), napamies (Finnish), silmäätekevä (Finnish), kiho (Finnish), grosse légume [feminine] (French), huile [feminine] (French), gros bonnet [masculine] (French), hohes Tier [neuter] (German), Persönlichkeit [feminine] (German), Bonze [masculine] (German), Großkopferter [masculine] (German), איש חשוב מאוד (ish hashuv meod) [masculine] (Hebrew), kakap (Indonesian), boc mór [masculine] (Irish), capo [masculine] (Italian), barbassoro [masculine] (Italian), pataffione [masculine] (Italian), pallone gonfiato [masculine] (Italian), 大物 (ōmono) (alt: おおもの) (Japanese), gruba ryba [feminine] (Polish), szycha [feminine] (Polish), figura [feminine] (Polish), VIP [masculine] (Polish), большая ши́шка (bolʹšaja šíška) (english: big fir-cone) (Russian), важная пти́ца (važnaja ptíca) (english: important bird) (Russian), pez gordo [masculine] (Spanish), barón [masculine] (Spanish), mandamás [feminine, masculine] (Spanish), höjdare [common-gender] (Swedish), pwysigyn [masculine] (Welsh)

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for bigwig meaning in English (7.1kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "big",
        "3": "wig"
      },
      "expansion": "big + wig",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "First arose in the 1730s, from big + wig. Formerly, English men of authority wore wigs. Bigwig plays on the idea that higher authority is denoted by a larger wig.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "bigwigs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "bigwig (plural bigwigs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English bahuvrihi compounds",
          "parents": [
            "Bahuvrihi compounds",
            "Compound terms",
            "Exocentric compounds",
            "Terms by etymology"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The company bigwig is gathering his staff together for a meeting today.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1891, Grace L. Keith Johnston, The Halletts: A Country Town Chronicle, volume 3, page 34",
          "text": "[…] more innocently, and no doubt profitably, than if he had dined at a big-wig's board or bemused himself with smoke and beer among his brethren of the pen.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016 May 5, “Reality star Bethenny Frankel talks hats, hangovers and her Kentucky Derby party at Empire City Casino”, in New York Daily News",
          "text": "Before her hay-day, she attended many derbys under her dad's celebrity where she'd hobnob with the bigwigs in Millionaire's Row.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person of importance to a group or organization."
      ],
      "id": "en-bigwig-en-noun-~6nV3GTt",
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(humorous) A person of importance to a group or organization."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "big cheese"
        },
        {
          "word": "VIP"
        },
        {
          "word": "important person"
        },
        {
          "word": "big wig"
        },
        {
          "word": "big-wig"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "velké zvíře"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "papaláš"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "hoge ome"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "bobo"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "Belgium",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "dikkop"
        },
        {
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "suur nina"
        },
        {
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "tähtis tegelane"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "pamppu"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "napamies"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "silmäätekevä"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "kiho"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "grosse légume"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "huile"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "gros bonnet"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "hohes Tier"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Persönlichkeit"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Bonze"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Großkopferter"
        },
        {
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "ish hashuv meod",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "איש חשוב מאוד"
        },
        {
          "code": "id",
          "lang": "Indonesian",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "kakap"
        },
        {
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "boc mór"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "capo"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "barbassoro"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pataffione"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pallone gonfiato"
        },
        {
          "alt": "おおもの",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "ōmono",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "大物"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "gruba ryba"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "szycha"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "figura"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "VIP"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "english": "big fir-cone",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bolʹšaja šíška",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "большая ши́шка"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "english": "important bird",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "važnaja ptíca",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "word": "важная пти́ца"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pez gordo"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "barón"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "mandamás"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "höjdare"
        },
        {
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "A person of importance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pwysigyn"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbɪɡ.wɪɡ/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪɡ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bigwig.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bigwig.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bigwig.wav.mp3",
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      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "bĭgʹwĭg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bigwig"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "big",
        "3": "wig"
      },
      "expansion": "big + wig",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "First arose in the 1730s, from big + wig. Formerly, English men of authority wore wigs. Bigwig plays on the idea that higher authority is denoted by a larger wig.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "bigwigs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "bigwig (plural bigwigs)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English 2-syllable words",
        "English adjective-noun compound nouns",
        "English bahuvrihi compounds",
        "English compound terms",
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
        "English humorous terms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "Rhymes:English/ɪɡ",
        "Rhymes:English/ɪɡ/1 syllable",
        "en:People"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The company bigwig is gathering his staff together for a meeting today.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1891, Grace L. Keith Johnston, The Halletts: A Country Town Chronicle, volume 3, page 34",
          "text": "[…] more innocently, and no doubt profitably, than if he had dined at a big-wig's board or bemused himself with smoke and beer among his brethren of the pen.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016 May 5, “Reality star Bethenny Frankel talks hats, hangovers and her Kentucky Derby party at Empire City Casino”, in New York Daily News",
          "text": "Before her hay-day, she attended many derbys under her dad's celebrity where she'd hobnob with the bigwigs in Millionaire's Row.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person of importance to a group or organization."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(humorous) A person of importance to a group or organization."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "big cheese"
        },
        {
          "word": "VIP"
        },
        {
          "word": "important person"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbɪɡ.wɪɡ/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪɡ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bigwig.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bigwig.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bigwig.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bigwig.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bigwig.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "bĭgʹwĭg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "big wig"
    },
    {
      "word": "big-wig"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "velké zvíře"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "papaláš"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "hoge ome"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "bobo"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "Belgium",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "dikkop"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "suur nina"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "tähtis tegelane"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "pamppu"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "napamies"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "silmäätekevä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "kiho"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "grosse légume"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "huile"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "gros bonnet"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "hohes Tier"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Persönlichkeit"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Bonze"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Großkopferter"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "ish hashuv meod",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "איש חשוב מאוד"
    },
    {
      "code": "id",
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "kakap"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "boc mór"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "capo"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "barbassoro"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pataffione"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pallone gonfiato"
    },
    {
      "alt": "おおもの",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "ōmono",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "大物"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "gruba ryba"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "szycha"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "figura"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "VIP"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "big fir-cone",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bolʹšaja šíška",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "большая ши́шка"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "important bird",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "važnaja ptíca",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "word": "важная пти́ца"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pez gordo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "barón"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mandamás"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "höjdare"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "A person of importance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pwysigyn"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bigwig"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-05 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.