Jagged

Jagged is an adjective describing something with a rough, irregular, notched, or toothlike edge or surface. It is commonly used to describe physical outlines such as a jagged coastline, a jagged mountain ridge, or a broken piece of glass, where edges are uneven and may form sharp points. The term can also describe patterns, lines, or shapes that consist of abrupt steps or alternating angles, rather than smooth curves.

Origin and usage: Jagged comes from jag, a noun referring to a projecting tooth or notch, with the suffix -ed. The sense of roughness and irregularity is attested in English from the early modern period.

Geography, geology, and materials: jagged coastlines and rock formations feature irregular projections. Objects and materials with jagged edges on broken metal or glass can be hazardous, and manufacturing often aims to remove jagged edges by filing or deburring. In art and design, jagged forms can convey energy or instability.

Computing: in programming, a jagged array refers to a data structure consisting of an array of subarrays that may have different lengths, as opposed to a true multidimensional array with fixed dimensions. The term ragged array is used in some languages to describe a similar concept.

Overall, jagged conveys irregularity and sharpness in physical form and rhythm, as well as variance in data structures or sequences, depending on context.