twig
1[ twig ]
/ twɪg /
noun
a slender shoot of a tree or other plant.
a small offshoot from a branch or stem.
a small, dry, woody piece fallen from a branch: a fire of twigs.
Anatomy. one of the minute branches of a blood vessel or nerve.
QUIZZES
TAKE THIS QUIZ IF A DAZZLING VOCABULARY IS YOUR DESIDERATUM!
Have the Words of the Day from October 19–25, 2020, made an indelible mark on your memory? Take the quiz to find out!
Question 1 of 7
What does “clement” mean?
Origin of twig
1before 950; Middle English; Old English twig, twigge, originally (something) divided in two; akin to Old High German zwīg (German Zweig), Dutch twijg; compare Sanskrit dvikás double
OTHER WORDS FROM twig
twigless, adjectivetwiglike, adjectiveWords nearby twig
Definition for twig (2 of 3)
twig2
[ twig ]
/ twɪg /
verb (used with object), twigged, twig·ging.
to look at; observe: Now, twig the man climbing there, will you?
to see; perceive: Do you twig the difference in colors?
to understand.
verb (used without object), twigged, twig·ging.
to understand.
Origin of twig
21755–65; <Irish tuigim I understand, with English w reflecting the offglide before i of the velarized Irish t typical of southern Ireland; cf. dig2
Definition for twig (3 of 3)
twig3
[ twig ]
/ twɪg /
noun British.
style; fashion.
Origin of twig
3First recorded in 1805–15; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for twig
British Dictionary definitions for twig (1 of 2)
twig1
/ (twɪɡ) /
noun
any small branch or shoot of a tree or other woody plant
something resembling this, esp a minute branch of a blood vessel
Derived forms of twig
twiglike, adjectiveWord Origin for twig
Old English twigge; related to Old Norse dvika consisting of two, Old High German zwīg twig, Old Danish tvige fork
British Dictionary definitions for twig (2 of 2)
twig2
/ (twɪɡ) /
verb twigs, twigging or twigged British informal
to understand (something)
to find out or suddenly comprehend (something)he hasn't twigged yet
(tr) rare to perceive (something)
Word Origin for twig
C18: perhaps from Gaelic tuig I understand
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