twine

¹ American  

[twahyn] / twaɪn /

noun

1. a strong thread or string composed of two or more strands twisted together.

2. an act of twining, twisting, or interweaving.

3. a coiled or twisted object or part; convolution.

4. a twist or turn in anything.

5. a knot or tangle.

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verb (used with object)

twined, twining

1. to twist together; interwind; interweave.

2. to form by or as by twisting together.

   to twine a wreath.

3. to twist (one strand, thread, or the like) with another; interlace.

4. to insert with a twisting or winding motion (usually followed by in orinto ).

   He twined his fingers in his hair.

5. to clasp or enfold (something) around something else; place by or as if by winding (usually followed by about, around, etc.).

   She twined her arms about the sculpture and carried it away.

6. to cause (a person, object, etc.) to be encircled with something else; wreathe; wrap.

   They twined the arch with flowers.

verb (used without object)

twined, twining

1. to wind about something; twist itself in spirals (usually followed by about, around, etc.).

   Strangling vines twined about the tree.

2. to wind in a sinuous or meandering course.

twine ² American  

[twahyn] / twaɪn /

verb (used with or without object)

Scot.

twined, twining

1. to separate; part.

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twine British  

/ twaɪn /

noun

1. string made by twisting together fibres of hemp, cotton, etc

2. the act or an instance of twining

3. something produced or characterized by twining

4. a twist, coil, or convolution

5. a knot, tangle, or snarl

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verb

1. (tr) to twist together; interweave

   she twined the wicker to make a basket

2. (tr) to form by or as if by twining

   to twine a garland

3. to wind or cause to wind, esp in spirals

   the creeper twines around the tree

Other Word Forms

• twiner
  noun
• twineable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of twine¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun twin(e), twinne, , Old English twīn literally, “a double or twisted thread”; cognate with Dutch twijn, Old Norse tvinni “thread, twine”; akin to German Zwirn; see twi-

Origin of twine²

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English twinen, variant of earlier twinnen, derivative of twin twin ¹

Explanation

Twine is the strong braided string that's often tied around a bakery box or used to secure a Christmas tree to the top of your car. Twine can be made of cotton, hemp, or even plastic — it's stronger than string, but thinner than rope. It can be used to stake plants in the garden or to tie up a package of cheese from a deli. Twine can also be a verb meaning "to twist around," the way threads are twisted into a strand of twine. Your cats might twine around each other to sleep, for example. The Old English version was twin, or "double strands of thread."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

twine twined twining

It will be beautiful, made by hand, wrapped in brown paper tied with twine.

From Salon ● May 27, 2026

For now, all there is to see is a staked out area, with posts connected by twine.

From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026

The jagged glass shards sewn with twine along the edges are like those vernacular security measures sometimes taken to prevent an invader from climbing over a wall.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2024

My father had had the foresight to prepare a box of underwear tied with twine for each of us.

From New York Times ● May 8, 2024

That invisible ball of twine was right there in her hand, and she had to hold it tight, because if she let go of it, she and Dallas would be lost out here.

From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech

A picture Korol sent The Times shows him and his girlfriend in a bomb shelter — hands twined like vines, heads pressed close together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2022

Her wall features one seasonally rotating space that includes a hook, to which she ties twined bundles of winter branches and berries, spring grasses or autumn lavender.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 7, 2022

Lucia married her high-school sweetheart, Renato Conti, in the garden; guests congregated around a small pond under a pair of twined wisteria vines.

From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2021

Baskets to carry things, baskets for cooking, baskets for ceremonies, baskets to trap eels, baskets to cradle children: All are twined from the stems of burned hazel.

From National Geographic ● Dec. 17, 2020

The girls twined around her; their long arms held her prisoner.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Mr. Guettel’s twining, urgent vocal music captures the complexity of the situation, encompassing the innocent, sincere mutual recognition of the lovers and Margaret’s sadness and guilt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Carlstrom has written a book that feels incredibly of the moment, twining together anger and glee, hope and despair, alienation and community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2025

Somewhere behind the house the birds began to wail, twining their voices into a piercing cry until suddenly I saw them both running down the hill into the stutter start of flight.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 22, 2023

The twining herbaceous perennial vine is a host plant for the silver-spotted skipper butterfly, and produces flowers in rosy shades, with a shape that reveals the plant’s membership in the pea family.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 20, 2023

Like ivy twining up a wall, a tendril of fear snaked ’round Penelope’s heart.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• yarn