twitch

[ twich ]

/ twɪtʃ /

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See synonyms for twitch on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to tug or pull at with a quick, short movement; pluck: She twitched him by the sleeve.

to jerk rapidly: The rider twitched the reins a couple of times.

to move (a part of the body) with a sudden, jerking motion.

to pinch or pull at sharply and painfully; give a smarting pinch to; nip.

verb (used without object)

to move spasmodically or convulsively; jerk; jump.

to give a sharp, sudden pull; tug; pluck (usually followed by at): He constantly twitched at his collar.

to ache or hurt with a sharp, shooting pain; twinge: That back tooth twitches a bit.

noun

a quick, jerky movement of the body or of some part of it.

involuntary, spasmodic movement of a muscle; tic: He gets a twitch in his left eye when he's nervous.

a short, sudden pull or tug; jerk.

a bodily or mental twinge, as of pain, conscience, etc.; pang.

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.

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Origin of twitch

1125–75; Middle English twicchen (v.); akin to Old English twiccian to pluck; cognate with German zwicken to pinch

OTHER WORDS FROM twitch

twitcher, nountwitch·ing·ly, adverbun·twitched, adjectiveun·twitch·ing, adjective

Other definitions for twitch (2 of 2)

Twitch

[ twich ]

/ twɪtʃ /

Trademark.

a brand name for a livestreaming video platform, primarily delivering video game content with audio commentary and concurrent online chat among viewers.

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

How to use twitch in a sentence

In 2014, it stood by as Amazon bought Twitch, a popular live-streaming platform for gamers that would have been a natural acquisition for the retailer.
The GameStop stock craze is about a populist uprising against Wall Street. But it’s more complicated than that.|David J. Lynch|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
Jumping up to 8,000 Hz won’t make you a better shot, but it will reduce the number of times the mouse gets lost during fast twitch movements.
Razer’s new gaming mouse pings your computer 8,000 times a second to fight lag|Stan Horaczek|January 29, 2021|Popular-Science
“As viewers spent more time at home in 2020, we saw an increase not only in engagement on the service, but also in the diversity of content,” said Twitch’s head of sales for the Americas, Sarah Looss.
Twitch emerges as rising platform for beauty brands|Jill Manoff|October 27, 2020|Digiday
Jack stopped speaking, drops of sweat stood under his eyes, and his thin cheeks twitched.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If Pyongyang so much as twitched a nuclear finger, its existence would be a thing of the past.
Leslie H. Gelb on How President Obama Should Handle Iran|Leslie H. Gelb|January 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
She twitched and lost her train of thought and interrupted herself.
Farrah's Brainy Side|Amy Wallace|June 25, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Suddenly he shot a disturbing glance at Tressan's face, and the corner of his wild-cat mustachios twitched.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
While Jos spoke, something akin to kindness crept through the hard, somber lines, the lips twitched and the eyes softened.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews
Some of the figures are being roasted, twitched with red-hot pincers, partly baked, or forced to swallow fire.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
He noted how pale were the general's cheeks, and how his thin hands twitched with suppressed excitement.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
A muscle twitched in his corded neck; Arnold eased his long frame into a chair, rubbed thumb and forefinger at his eyes.
We're Friends, Now|Henry Hasse

British Dictionary definitions for twitch

twitch

/ (twɪtʃ) /

verb

to move or cause to move in a jerky spasmodic way

(tr) to pull or draw (something) with a quick jerky movement

(intr) to hurt with a sharp spasmodic pain

(tr) rare to nip

noun

a sharp jerking movement

a mental or physical twinge

a sudden muscular spasm, esp one caused by a nervous conditionCompare tic

a loop of cord used to control a horse by drawing it tight about its upper lip

Derived forms of twitch

twitching, adjective, noun

Word Origin for twitch

Old English twiccian to pluck; related to Old High German zwecchōn to pinch, Dutch twicken

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

twitch

Origin of twitch

OTHER WORDS FROM twitch

Other definitions for twitch (2 of 2)

Words related to twitch

How to use twitch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for twitch

Derived forms of twitch

Word Origin for twitch