twine

1
[ twahyn ]
See synonyms for twine on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a strong thread or string composed of two or more strands twisted together.

  2. an act of twining, twisting, or interweaving.

  1. a coiled or twisted object or part; convolution.

  2. a twist or turn in anything.

  3. a knot or tangle.

verb (used with object),twined, twin·ing.
  1. to twist together; interwind; interweave.

  2. to form by or as by twisting together: to twine a wreath.

  1. to twist (one strand, thread, or the like) with another; interlace.

  2. to insert with a twisting or winding motion (usually followed by in or into): He twined his fingers in his hair.

  3. to clasp or enfold (something) around something else; place by or as if by winding (usually followed by about, around, etc.): She twined her arms about the sculpture and carried it away.

  4. to cause (a person, object, etc.) to be encircled with something else; wreathe; wrap: They twined the arch with flowers.

verb (used without object),twined, twin·ing.
  1. to wind about something; twist itself in spirals (usually followed by about, around, etc.): Strangling vines twined about the tree.

  2. to wind in a sinuous or meandering course.

Origin of twine

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun twin(e), twinne, , Old English twīn literally, “a double or twisted thread”; cognate with Dutch twijn, Old Norse tvinni “thread, twine”; akin to German Zwirn; see twi-

Other words from twine

  • twine·a·ble, adjective
  • twiner, noun

Words that may be confused with twine

Other definitions for twine (2 of 2)

twine2
[ twahyn ]

verb (used with or without object),twined, twin·ing.Scot.
  1. to separate; part.

Origin of twine

2
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English twinen, variant of earlier twinnen, derivative of twin twin1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use twine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for twine

twine

/ (twaɪn) /


noun
  1. string made by twisting together fibres of hemp, cotton, etc

  2. the act or an instance of twining

  1. something produced or characterized by twining

  2. a twist, coil, or convolution

  3. a knot, tangle, or snarl

verb
  1. (tr) to twist together; interweave: she twined the wicker to make a basket

  2. (tr) to form by or as if by twining: to twine a garland

  1. (when intr, often foll by around) to wind or cause to wind, esp in spirals: the creeper twines around the tree

Origin of twine

1
Old English twīn; related to Old Frisian twīne, Dutch twijn twine, Lithuanian dvynu twins; see twin

Derived forms of twine

  • twiner, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012