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

• twineable
  adjective
• twiner
  noun

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

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

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

She installed fish traps in the streams and set twine snares along small game trails.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• yarn