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'twas

American  
[twuhz, twoz, twuhz] / twʌz, twɒz, twəz /
  1. contraction of it was.


'twas British  
/ twɒz, twəz /

contraction

  1. it was

"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

Usage

See contraction.

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.

See Examples For:

A male voice in the cast parried with a hint of old-world courtliness: “Yet ’twas well sung, my friend!”

From New York Times Feb. 16, 2023

That Wasn’t a canal — nay, ’twas a hat.

From Washington Post Nov. 10, 2022

Various courts have since let us know that nope, 'twas merely a small crick against the doomsday direction in which we were previously heading.

From Salon Aug. 6, 2021

Others will say 'twas ever thus, that corruption is a timeless part of the human condition.

From The Guardian Jul. 6, 2012

Now ’twas lit with torches, and sentries stood outside the front doors, jealously protecting the officers who slept within.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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