twine

[ twahyn ]

/ twaɪn /

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See synonyms for: twine / twined on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

an act of twining, twisting, or interweaving.

a coiled or twisted object or part; convolution.

a twist or turn in anything.

a knot or tangle.

verb (used with object), twined, twin·ing.

to twist together; interwind; interweave.

to form by or as by twisting together: to twine a wreath.

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

to insert with a twisting or winding motion (usually followed by in or into): He twined his fingers in his hair.

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.

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, twin·ing.

to wind about something; twist itself in spirals (usually followed by about, around, etc.): Strangling vines twined about the tree.

to wind in a sinuous or meandering course.

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Origin of twine

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-

OTHER WORDS FROM twine

twine·a·ble, adjectivetwiner, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH twine

twain, twin, twine

Other definitions for twine (2 of 2)

twine²

[ twahyn ]

/ twaɪn /

verb (used with or without object), twined, twin·ing.Scot.

to separate; part.

Also twin .

Origin of twine

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English twinen, variant of earlier twinnen, derivative of twin twin¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use twine in a sentence

For a prettier presentation, tie or truss the legs together with kitchen twine, if you have some.
This whole herb-roasted chicken with Hasselback potatoes is a holiday-ready sheet-pan dinner|Ann Maloney|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
Madame Ratignolle, more careful of her complexion, had twined a gauze veil about her head.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
A fragile arm twined itself about his neck and he kissed her on the lips.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
She twined her fingers in his hair, made him turn back and carry her to the place where her shrieking, laughing companions stood.
The Leaven in a Great City|Lillian William Betts

I was compelled to go to her and kiss her, and she twined them softly about my neck and drew me to her and kissed me.
The New Machiavelli|Herbert George Wells
Down the passage came a flutter of white garments; soft limbs were twined about her, some ends of hair fell on her face.
Villa Rubein and Other Stories|John Galsworthy

British Dictionary definitions for twine

twine

/ (twaɪn) /

noun

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

the act or an instance of twining

something produced or characterized by twining

a twist, coil, or convolution

a knot, tangle, or snarl

verb

(tr) to twist together; interweaveshe twined the wicker to make a basket

(tr) to form by or as if by twiningto twine a garland

(when intr, often foll by around) to wind or cause to wind, esp in spiralsthe creeper twines around the tree

Derived forms of twine

twiner, noun

Word Origin for twine

Old English twīn; related to Old Frisian twīne, Dutch twijn twine, Lithuanian dvynu twins; see twin

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

twine

Origin of twine

OTHER WORDS FROM twine

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH twine

Other definitions for twine (2 of 2)

Origin of twine

Words related to twine

How to use twine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for twine

Derived forms of twine

Word Origin for twine