ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rig

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɹɪɡ// UK //ɹˈɪɡ// rig Archaic Dialect Informal Slang

n. a set of equipment or tools used for a specific purpose. You might use this word for a powerful computer setup, a large truck, or a structure used to get oil from the ground.

n. a functional assembly of equipment, machinery, or apparatus designed for a specific task. Often used to describe specialized computer hardware configurations, heavy vehicles, or industrial structures like oil platforms.


SIMPLE

He spent all his savings on a high-end gaming rig.

CONTEXTUAL

The offshore drilling rig operates twenty-four hours a day to maintain steady production levels.

COMPLEX

Upgrading his streaming rig required not only a faster processor but also a sophisticated cooling system to handle the increased thermal load during live broadcasts.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Early Modern English rygge, probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Norwegian rigge (“to bind up; wrap around; rig; equip”), Swedish dialectal rigga (“to rig a horse”), Faroese rigga (“to rig; to equip and fit; to make s.th. function”). Possibly from Proto-Germanic rik- (“to bind”), from Proto-Indo-European rign-, reyg- (“to bind”); or related to Old English wrīhan, wrīohan, wrēohan, wrēon (“to bind; wrap up; cover”). See also wry (“to cover; clothe; dress; hide”).

Etymology 2

See ridge.

Etymology 3

Compare wriggle.

Etymology 4

From ring (“algebraic structure”), omitting the letter n to suggest the lack of negatives. Compare rng (“structure like a ring but lacking a multiplicative identity”).

Usage

Commonly used in technical or hobbyist contexts to refer to the physical components of a system.

Idioms1 entry

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