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

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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

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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

With the cut-flower Spencers, a bit of twine is required, over and again, to secure their way up the bamboo poles.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 17, 2024

But on that day, the trail didn’t seem to be any bigger than a twine string.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Their fates have been twined from the start, and this past weekend they threw a joint 10th-ish anniversary celebration at the bookstore that lasted three days and felt more house party than book party.

From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2024

The twined cities of Los Angeles that Scully and Jarrín have made with their voices may seem like different cities, but their borders are unguarded.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 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

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

Edgar jumped down from Beto’s lap and twined around Henry’s ankles.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

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

On the whole, though, “The Manor of Dreams” is a swift and enjoyable read, increasingly spooky, with a surprising queer romance twining its way through.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 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

Given warm conditions, twining vines with heart-shaped leaves quickly clamber up a string or wire trellis, unfurling a daily crop of sky-blue blooms — heavenly, indeed.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2022

The Maidens used a small knife with an ornately embellished golden handle to cut and smooth my hair, and many hands began twining small strands into a series of formal hanging braids.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis

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