Etymology

jigger

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Today it means: A double-ended vessel, generally of stainless steel or other metal, one end of which typically measures 1½ fluid ounces (approx. 44 ml), the other typically 1 fluid ounce (approx. 30 ml). Full definition →

Old High German gīga
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jigger · noun, verb1

  1. Old High German · derived fromgīga“fiddle”
  2. English todayjigger

From jig + -er (agent suffix). Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary suggests a possible link to Old High German gīga (“fiddle”), for which see modern German Geige.

jigger · noun2

  1. Wolof · borrowed fromjiga“insect”
  2. English todayjigger

Likely a corruption of chigoe. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary suggests a possible derivation from Wolof jiga (“insect”).

jigger · noun, verb3

A slang term of unknown origin, originally meaning prison. Oxford English Dictionary suggests that its origin might be the same as Etymology 1, above.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.