zig-zag motion (esp. of a warship)
Refers to a zig-zag movement pattern, especially used by warships to evade torpedoes or submarines. The term is derived from the shape of the hiragana character の.
See also: ジグザグ航行
To avoid enemy submarines, the fleet continued zig-zag motion.
Zig-zag motion was a tactic often used during World War II.
ジグザグ航行 is a more general term for zig-zag sailing or navigation, while 之字運動 specifically evokes the の-shaped pattern and is strongly associated with warship evasive maneuvers.
Standard kanji form; the character 之 represents the zig-zag shape.
Variant spelling using hiragana の instead of kanji 之; both are seen.
Compound of 之 (the character resembling a zig-zag shape) + 字 (character) + 運動 (motion). The term describes a movement pattern that traces the shape of the hiragana の.