twig

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a small shoot or branch usually without its leaves
2
: a minute branch of a nerve or artery
twigged adjective
twiggy adjective

twig

2 of 3

verb

twigged; twigging

transitive verb

1
2
: to understand the meaning of : comprehend

intransitive verb

: to gain a grasp : understand
twigged instinctively about thingsH. E. Bates

twig

3 of 3

noun (2)

British

Examples of twig in a Sentence

Verb He seemed confused until he twigged that something was going on. I had to explain it to him three times but he finally twigged.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In order to reproduce, female cicadas lay their eggs in small twigs or branches, using body parts called ovipositors to slit open these branches and deposit their eggs inside. Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2024 By Anna Gordon May 1, 2024 11:06 AM EDT British singer-songwriter FKA twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property on Tuesday about the dangers of artificial intelligence. Anna Gordon, TIME, 1 May 2024 The company connected with her on Instagram last year after FKA twigs, who grew up training in a number of dance styles, including the Graham technique, shared one of its posts. Siobhan Burke, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024 Wind asserted itself in the District on Saturday by throbbing in the ears, raising whitecaps on the Potomac River and setting twigs, branches and leaves into frenzied tossing, fluttering and nodding. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024 No forked twigs for this fella, he’s got the fancy metal or corkscrew rod holders. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 4 Apr. 2024 That digital exchange inspired the idea of a performance by twigs IRL of Graham’s solo Satyric Festival Song. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2024 Starting in 2021, researchers took a close look at more than 700 pieces of wood from the site, from broken spear shafts to twigs. Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024 Sometimes, all of these cuts cause twigs to wither or snap, killing leaves. Celia Ford, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
In hindsight, the impression is of an unwitting team effort, each inventor chipping away at the riddle of cinema without quite twigging its significance. Nat Segnit, Harper's Magazine, 4 Mar. 2022 The blades can handle branches and twigs up to 1 inch thick. Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2023 And the firms have started to twig that lofty statements and charity do not suffice. The Economist, 20 June 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twig.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English twigge, from Old English; akin to Old High German zwīg twig, Old English twā two

Verb

perhaps from Irish & Scottish Gaelic tuig- understand

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1764, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of twig was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near twig

Cite this Entry

“Twig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twig. Accessed 7 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

twig

noun
ˈtwig
: a small shoot or branch usually without its leaves
twiggy
ˈtwig-ē
adjective

Medical Definition

twig

noun
: a minute branch of a nerve or artery
twigs of sensory nerves in the skinLynda Charters

More from Merriam-Webster on twig

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