twitch
verb (used with object)
to tug or pull at with a quick, short movement; pluck.
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twitch
1 American
[twich]
/ twɪtʃ /
verb (used with object)
-
to tug or pull at with a quick, short movement; pluck.
She twitched him by the sleeve.
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to jerk rapidly.
The rider twitched the reins a couple of times.
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to move (a part of the body) with a sudden, jerking motion.
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to pinch or pull at sharply and painfully; give a smarting pinch to; nip.
verb (used without object)
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to move spasmodically or convulsively; jerk; jump.
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to give a sharp, sudden pull; tug; pluck (usually followed byat ).
He constantly twitched at his collar.
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to ache or hurt with a sharp, shooting pain; twinge.
That back tooth twitches a bit.
noun
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a quick, jerky movement of the body or of some part of it.
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involuntary, spasmodic movement of a muscle; tic.
He gets a twitch in his left eye when he's nervous.
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a short, sudden pull or tug; jerk.
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a bodily or mental twinge, as of pain, conscience, etc.; pang.
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a loop or noose placed over the muzzle of a horse and tightened by twisting a stick or handle to which it is attached, used as a restraining device during a painful operation.
Twitch
2
American
[twich]
/ twɪtʃ /
Trademark.
twitch
British
/ twɪtʃ /
verb
-
to move or cause to move in a jerky spasmodic way
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(tr) to pull or draw (something) with a quick jerky movement
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(intr) to hurt with a sharp spasmodic pain
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rare (tr) to nip
noun
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a sharp jerking movement
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a mental or physical twinge
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a sudden muscular spasm, esp one caused by a nervous condition Compare tic
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a loop of cord used to control a horse by drawing it tight about its upper lip
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of twitch
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English twicchen (verb); akin to Old English twiccian “to pluck”; cognate with German zwicken “to pinch”
Explanation
To twitch is to make a very sudden, brief, unintentional movement. Your eye muscles might start to twitch when you're extremely tired. Back in the 12th century, instead of using the word twitch, you would've used to-twic-chen, which was defined as "pulling apart with a quick jerk." It stemmed from the Old English twiccian, "to pluck, gather, or catch hold of." Today, we use twitch as a noun too, to mean the jerky spasm itself: "She tried not to laugh, but he could see a twitch in her lip."
Vocabulary lists containing twitch
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a public television mainstay that plays well with niche audiences too, as Twitch discovered when a nine-day marathon in 2015 proved to be enormously popular.
From Salon • May 2, 2026
Beyer, who streams on Twitch under the username Central_Committee, is from Pennsylvania and recently moved to Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
“Geographic boundary-bending” media such as TikTok and Twitch have introduced a potent new dynamic, exposing young people to diverse linguistic influences faster than ever.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
"I love having the livestream available, and I also think it's cool that they use Twitch," Roethler said, referring to a video streamer site favored by gamers.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
But as soon as he heard mention of an arctic hare, he rushed up and down all the burrow tunnels in search of Twitch, whom he of course could not find.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
