What is pigtailing in wiring?

• A. Extending a circuit by using longer wires.
• B. Connecting multiple conductors to a device by splicing a short lead to a common point.
• C. Joining two devices with a single wire.
• D. Replacing a circuit with a new one.

Answer: (B)

Pigtailing is using a short jumper to connect a device to a group of conductors in a box. In practice, you splice the incoming conductors together and add a short length of wire—the pigtail—that lands on the device’s terminal. This gives the device a single, reliable connection point while the rest of the conductors remain securely joined in the box, which helps prevent loose connections and terminal crowding.

That matches the idea of connecting multiple conductors to a device by splicing a short lead to a common point. Extending a circuit with longer wires misses the idea of a short lead to the device. Joining two devices with a single wire describes a daisy-chain, not a pigtail. Replacing a circuit with a new one is unrelated to how a device is fed.