zigzag
n. countablen. a line that goes back and forth in a series of sharp turns. You can also use it to describe a path or a way of thinking that changes direction often.
n. a line or path consisting of a series of sharp, angular turns in opposite directions. Often used metaphorically to describe erratic or unpredictable behavior.
The hikers followed a zigzag path down the mountain.
The artist used a zigzag pattern to add visual interest to the simple white background.
The politician's career was a zigzag of shifting allegiances, moving from the far left to the center-right over the course of a single decade.
Attested from 1712. Borrowed from French zigzag (attested from 1662), possibly from a Germanic source via Walloon ziczac (although German Zickzack is attested only from 1703). Also, possibly from the shape of the letter Z, which appears twice in the word. Sense “drunk” from the zigzag movements of a drunk person.