Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Oliver Twist

American  

noun

  1. a novel (1838) by Dickens.

Oliver Twist Cultural  

  1. (1838) A novel by Charles Dickens; the title character is an orphan boy. In one famous scene, Oliver is severely punished for asking for more gruel, or porridge (“Please, sir, I want some more”). Oliver later becomes a pickpocket in a gang of young thieves led by Fagin. Violent in plot, the book exposes the inadequacies of British public institutions for dealing with the poverty of children like Oliver.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Anyone who believes that Athens is in Germany, Oliver Twist is a season of the year, and America is a city, it doesn't really bother me those comments," Smith said in his pre-match news conference.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

When confronted with a bowl of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats or its ilk, all I could think of was Oliver Twist sadly begging for more.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 12, 2022

“Deep history on & in this site forever because Oliver Twist was born here.”

From New York Times • Dec. 23, 2021

If Imelda Marcos and Oliver Twist switched jobs, at least Oliver wouldn’t have had to go barefoot.

From Washington Post • Dec. 9, 2021

She handed the girl the parcel containing Brigid’s old primer and Oliver Twist.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.