twig

¹ American  

[twig] / twɪg /

noun

1. a slender shoot of a tree or other plant.

2. a small offshoot from a branch or stem.

3. a small, dry, woody piece fallen from a branch.

   a fire of twigs.

4. Anatomy. one of the minute branches of a blood vessel or nerve.

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twig ² American  

[twig] / twɪg /

verb (used with object)

twigged, twigging

1. to look at; observe.

   Now, twig the man climbing there, will you?

2. to see; perceive.

   Do you twig the difference in colors?

3. to understand.

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verb (used without object)

twigged, twigging

1. to understand.

twig ³ American  

[twig] / twɪg /

noun

British Archaic.

1. style; fashion.

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twig ¹ British  

/ twɪɡ /

verb

1. to understand (something)

2. to find out or suddenly comprehend (something)

   he hasn't twigged yet

3. rare (tr) to perceive (something)

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twig ² British  

/ twɪɡ /

noun

1. any small branch or shoot of a tree or other woody plant

2. something resembling this, esp a minute branch of a blood vessel

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Other Word Forms

• twigless
  adjective
• twiglike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of twig¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English twig, twig(g)e; Old English twig, twigge, twī originally “(something) divided in two”; akin to Old High German zwīg ( German Zweig ), Dutch twijg; compare Sanskrit dvikás “double”; see origin at twi- ( def. )

Origin of twig²

First recorded in 1760–70; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Irish tuigim “I understand”

Origin of twig³

First recorded in 1805–15; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Soon enough, trees everywhere were showing blotchy, mottled, yellowed leaves and suffering from twig dieback and sparse foliage.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

I’m so curious with the twig and the hair and the blood and the bell — Is that a thing?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

In 1960, during her first year at Gombe, Goodall observed a chimpanzee she called David Greybeard carefully strip a twig of leaves and use it to root out tasty termites from a mound.

From Salon • Oct. 1, 2025

The chimp took a twig, bent and stripped it of its leaves, then he poked it into a termite's nest.

From BBC • Oct. 1, 2025

She was certain of it one day when Andeg hopped toward her with a twig in his beak.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

Related Words

• limb
• sprig