U

bigging

noun Scot. and North England.

a building, especially one’s home.

verb (used with object), bigged, big·ging. British Dialect.

to build.

verb (used with object)

big².

adjective bigger or biggest

of great or considerable size, height, weight, number, power, or capacity
having great significance; importanta big decision
important through having power, influence, wealth, authority, etcthe big four banks
(intensifier usually qualifying something undesirable)a big dope
informal considerable in extent or intensity (esp in the phrase in a big way)
1. eldermy big brother
2. grown-upwhen you’re big, you can stay up later
1. generous; magnanimousthat’s very big of you
2. (in combination)big-hearted
(often foll by with) brimming; fullmy heart is big with sadness
extravagant; boastfulhe’s full of big talk
(of wine) full-bodied, with a strong aroma and flavour
too big for one’s boots or too big for one’s breeches conceited; unduly self-confident
in an advanced stage of pregnancy (esp in the phrase big with child)
big on informal enthusiastic aboutthat company is big on research

adverb informal

boastfully; pretentiously (esp in the phrase talk big)
in an exceptional way; wellhis talk went over big with the audience
on a grand scale (esp in the phrase think big)

verb bigs, bigging, bigged or bug (bʌɡ) Scot

to build
to excavate (earth) into a pile

adj.

c.1300, northern England dialect, “powerful, strong,” of obscure origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source (cf. Norwegian dialectal bugge “great man”). Old English used micel in many of the same senses. Meaning “of great size” is late 14c.; that of “grown up” is attested from 1550s. Sense of “important” is from 1570s. Meaning “generous” is U.S. colloquial by 1913.

Big band as a musical style is from 1926. Slang big head “conceit” is first recorded 1850. Big business “large commercial firms collectively” is 1905; big house “penitentiary” is U.S. underworld slang first attested 1915 (in London, “a workhouse,” 1851). In financial journalism, big ticket items so called from 1956. Big lie is from Hitler’s grosse Lüge.

In addition to the idioms beginning with big

big and bold
big as life
big bucks
big cheese
big daddy
big deal
big enchilada
big fish in a small pond
big head, have a
big league
big mouth, have a
big of one
big on
big shot
big stink
big time
big top
big wheel

also see:

go over big
great (big) guns
hit it big
in a big way
little frog in a big pond
make a federal case (big deal)
talk big
think big
too big for one’s breeches
what’s the (big) idea

Also see underbigger.