twig

[ twig ]

/ twɪg /

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See synonyms for: twig / twigged / twigging / twigs on Thesaurus.com

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.

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

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Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

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Origin of twig

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-

OTHER WORDS FROM twig

twigless, adjectivetwiglike, adjective

Words nearby twig

twicer, twice-told, Twickenham, twiddle, twiddle one's thumbs, twig, twig blight, twig borer, twig girdler, twiggy, twilight

Other definitions for twig (2 of 3)

twig²

[ twig ]

/ twɪg /

British Informal.

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

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

Other definitions for twig (3 of 3)

twig³

[ twig ]

/ twɪg /

noun British Archaic.

style; fashion.

Origin of twig

First recorded in 1805–15; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use twig in a sentence

It was his unifying work that pruned all these twigs of knowledge into a single coherent and lovely tree — one that’s borne fruit for generations of scientists, mathematicians and engineers.
How Claude Shannon Invented the Future|David Tse|December 22, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The Solo Stove Lite Stove is a stainless steel contraption that pulls in air through the holes in its base to help the sticks and twigs inside combust.
Go camping in style and comfort with these gifts|Rob Verger|December 11, 2020|Popular-Science
Two of my neighbors use those blowers that blow leaves and debris out into the street, but unfortunately they don't bag the leaves and twigs.
Hints From Heloise: Not so neighborly neighbors|Heloise Heloise|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
These insects, however, belong on a nearby — but different — twig of the insect evolutionary tree.
What you need to know about ‘murder hornets’|Susan Milius|July 20, 2020|Science News For Students

These ethanol-susceptible twigs sprout quite different animals.
Why elephants and armadillos might easily get drunk|Susan Milius|June 4, 2020|Science News For Students
Not even the tiniest twig from a tree falls unnoticed in this media forest.
Fix the Country Already!|Walter Shapiro|March 17, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Suddenly, we hear the sound of a twig cracking; all three men look around anxiously, particularly JASON.
Who Killed the Horror Film?|Tom Shone|March 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST
To drop on one knee and level his piece was the work of an instant, but unfortunately he snapped a dry twig in doing so.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
He clutches at a sharp point of rock here, or a twig there; but if it is not as safe as he believed, woe unto him!
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
There was a quiet, cynical smile on his face as he sat there beating a tattoo on his leggings with a hickory twig.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Burn the male olive-branch and the pine twig and juniper, and let the blazing laurel crackle amid the hearth.
The Religion of Ancient Rome|Cyril Bailey
Not a twig broke as they crept up the side of the deep ravine and looked out at the herd.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp

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, adjective

Word 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

twig

Origin of twig

OTHER WORDS FROM twig

Words nearby twig

Other definitions for twig (2 of 3)

Origin of twig

Other definitions for twig (3 of 3)

Origin of twig

Words related to twig

How to use twig in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for twig (1 of 2)

Derived forms of twig

Word Origin for twig

British Dictionary definitions for twig (2 of 2)

Word Origin for twig