Meaning

noun an angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions

verb travel along a zigzag path

adjective having short sharp turns or angles

originAttested 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.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0