Twining

[twahy-ning]

noun

Nathan Farragut,1897–1982, U.S. Air Force general: chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1957–60.

twine

[twahyn]

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.

Origin of twine

before 900; Middle English twine (noun), twinen (v.), Old English twīn (noun) literally, a double or twisted thread; cognate with Dutch twijn; akin to German Zwirn, Old Norse tvinni thread, twine; see twi-

Related formstwine·a·ble, adjectivetwin·er, noun

Can be confusedtwain twin twine

twine

[twahyn]

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

to separate; part.

Also twin.

Origin of twine

1175–1225; late Middle English twinen, variant of earlier twinnen, derivative of twin twin¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for twining

yarn, braid, string, thread, twist, snarl, knot, whorl, coil, tangle, convolution, cordage, enmesh, bend, wrap, curl, interweave, undulate, spiral, interlace

Examples from the Web for twining

Historical Examples of twining

It was to the girl as if the fragrance were twining and winding about her and impelling her like leashes.
Quaint Courtships
Various
Four long, twining tentacles were attached directly to the head.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science September 1930
Various
"You are rather a Job's comforter, Twining," said Beecher, tartly.
Davenport Dunn, Volume 2 (of 2)
Charles James Lever
Twining was one of the executors, and could tell him everything.
Davenport Dunn, Volume 2 (of 2)
Charles James Lever
"Quite convinced of that—could swear it," said Twining, eagerly.
Davenport Dunn, Volume 1 (of 2)
Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for twining

twine

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 Formstwiner, 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

Word Origin and History for twining

twine

Old English twin "double thread," from Proto-Germanic *twizna- (cf. Dutch twijn, Low German twern, German zwirn "twine, thread"), from the same root as twin (q.v.). The verb meaning "to twist strands together to form twine" is recorded from late 13c.; sense of "to twist around something" (as twine does) is recorded from c.1300. Related: Twined; twining.