twistle 
twistle-dwis'l), ii. Same as tiriwl. Hnlliin-11. 
twist-machine (twist 'HIM---)!..!! >.. A form of 
Incc-making inai-liinr. /.'. //. Knit/lit. 
twist-Stitch (twist'slirh), ii. Sjinir :is rnnl 
fili/i'li. liii-i. i>i \< ii/lrirnrk. 
twist-tobaCCO (I" isl 'In bak'6),. Sec lolntcro. 
twist-velocity (twist 'vi;-li>si-ti), ii. The state 
of a hi nly at imy i nst :i til when it lias ii rotational 
vi'loi'ity roninl :i i-rrtain :i xis compounded wit h 
;i liii. 'ar vrlority along that axis. 
twisty (twis'ti), H. [< iirixt + -.y 1 .] See Hclic- 
tertt. 
twit ( twit ), r. t. ; pret. anil pp. lirittcil. ppr. tiril- 
IIHII. [Formerly also tii-itr, MigM; by aphere- 
sis' from nhriti;\ MK. iitiriten, < AS. xticihtit, re- 
proach, < ,!!- (sci' nl-\) + iritini, reproach: see 
wite.] 1. To reproach; upbraid, especially 
with past follirs, rrrors, or offenses; annoy by 
reproaches; taunt. 
I twhyte one, I caste liyin In the tetbe or in the nose. 
Je luy reproiicho. . . . This terme is also northren. 
Palsijrace, p. 764. 
Anil evermore she did him slmrpely twinht 
For breach of faith to her, which he had finitely plight. 
Spenser, V. U., V. vi. 1 
Alas ! what should I touch their parents, or twit them by 
their other friends? G. Harvey, Four Letters. 
2. To charge or reproach with ; upbraid on ac- 
count of; bring forward as a taunt. 
Envy, why ttrit'st thou me my time's spent 111? 
11. Jonson, Poetaster, i. 1. 
Shall they (Papists] imi us that Our Father hath taken 
from the church what their Paternoster bestowed on it? 
Kev. T. Adamt, Works, I. 409. 
To twit In the teeth*, to taunt maliciously ; cast offen- 
sive facts or charges in the teeth of. Iteau. and Ft., Wit 
t Several Weapons, v. = Syn. Cha/, Mock, etc. See fauntl . 
twit (twit), a. [<. licit, v.~\ A. reproach; ataunt; 
an upbraiding or gibing reminder or insinua- 
tion. 
Upon Condition there be no Twite of the 
Good Man departed. Etherege, Love in a Tub, T. 5. 
twitch 1 (twich), v. [< ME. twicchen, twiclicn, also 
twikkin (pret. ticight, twyght, twiglite, twigte), < 
AS. ttcicciaii, twitch, pull, = LG. ticikken = 
OHG. 'zwicchen, MHG. G. zwicken, fasten with 
nails, shut in, peg, pin, grip, nip, twitch; cf. 
G. zwick, a nip, pinch. Cf. twick, ticeak 1 , ticigV.] 
1. trans, 1. To pull or draw with a hasty jerk ; 
snatch ; jerk away. 
His swerde anon out of his shethe he twyahte. 
Chaucer, Troilus, iv. 1185. 
My cap 'a quite gone : where the villain turitehed It, I 
don't know. Miss Burney, Evelina, xxxiv. 
Saint Praxed in a glory, and one Pan 
Ready to twitch the nymph's last garment off. 
Browniny, The Bishop Orders his Tomb. 
2. To give a short, sudden pull or tug at; jerk 
at; cause to move quickly or spasmodically. 
Petit-Andre 1 , slapping the other shoulder, called out, 
"Courage, my fair son ! since you must begin the dance, 
let the ball open gaily, for all the rebecs are In tune," 
twitching the halter at the samt time, to give point to his 
Joke. Scott, Quentln Durward, vi. 
3. To nip; squeeze; make fast; tie tightly. 
llnlliwell. [Prov. Bug.] 
Be the neck sche hym twyghte, 
And let hym hange all nyghte. 
MS. Cantab., ft. ii. 38, f. 117. (BattiiceU.) 
Sub. And shall we Itrilch him? 
> Face. Thorough both the gills. 
B. Jonton, Alchemist, ii. 1. 
They tiritch the offender about the waste with a towell 
. . . untill they have drawn him within the compasse of a 
span. Sandys, Travailes, p. 49. 
II. iiitrnns. 1. To be suddenly jerked; move 
or contract quickly or spasmodically, as a mus- 
cle. 
They [movements] vary, in sensitive frogs and with a 
proper amount of irritation, so little as almost to resemble 
In their machine-like regularity the performances of a 
juniping-jiick, whose legs must twitch whenever you pull 
the string. W. James, Prln. of Psychol., 1. 15. 
2. To carp; sneer; make flings. Compare jerk 1 , 
,: i., 2. 
Try to barter one with the other amicably, and not to 
twitch and carp. 
Landtir, Intag. Conv., Diogenes and Plato. 
twitch 1 (twich). ii. [Formerly also tioich ; < 
tiritcli 1 ,*'. Cf. ttcirk, ticiii-, (MM*.*] 1. A short, 
sharp pull or tug; a jerk or snatch. 
I felt him take hold of my flesh, and give me such a 
ili-:uily tifitclt buck that 1 thought he had pulled part of 
me after liiinsrlf. Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, i. 
2. A short, spastic contraction of the fibers of 
muscles; a stitch; a twinge: as, a twitch in the 
side; convulsive tiri/che*;. especially, such a 
movement when causing pain: somrtinirs ap- 
plied to moral pangs. 
So crackt their backe hones wrineht 
With horrid ticitchrs. Chapman. Iliad, \\iii. OJO. 
6557 
These hritrhet of Conscience argue there are some quick 
touch*-* l'-ft i't tin- sence of good and evil. 
HtUlinyjleet, Sermons, 1. 11. 
3f. A pair of nippers or twi-r/.i i s. 
Take therefore a ticifh of silver, and therewith lift up 
siihlilly the tingle from tin- tunii-li-, pnio i-'ling to thelach 
linrill where it grew, ami IhiTe rut It away. 
Barrouyh's Method of J'hytick (1024). ( Karen. ) 
4. A noose attached to a stock or handle and 
twistcil around the upper lip of a horse so as 
to bring him under command when shoeing or 
clipping: an instrument used for holding a vi- 
cious horse. 5. In mining, a sudden narrow- 
ing of a vein so that the walls come nearly or 
1 1 ii ilr together. [North. Eng.] 
twitch 2 (twich), c. A dialectal variant of touch, 
ll'illiioett. 
twitch" (twich), n. [A dial. var. of quitch*.] 
The quitch or quitch-grass, Agropyrum repent*. 
The name is also applied to the bent-grass, Ayrottit out- 
gfiri*. and to a few other grasses, as the sheep's-fescue, 
Festuca opina, called black twitch. 
twitchel 1 (twich'el), w. [< twitch 1 + -el.] A 
narrow passage; an alley. Compare twitch 1 , 
H., !). [Prov. Eng.] 
All persons passing by this Twitchel are requested to go 
up or down directly, without loitering, causing obstruc- 
tion, etc. Quoted in JV. and Q., 7th sen, VII. 275. 
twitchel 2 (twich'el), . [A var. of twiehild.] 
A childish old man. Halliwell. [Prov. Eng.] 
twitcher (twich'er), w. [Formerly also twicher; 
< twitch 1 + -er 1 .] 1. One who or that which 
twitches. 2. pi. Small pincers. Halliwell. 
3t. An instrument used for clinching hog-rings. 
Davies. 
Strong yoke for a hog, with a tmicher and rings. 
Tusser, September's Husbandry, Husbandly Kumlture, 
[t. 17. 
twitch-grass (twich'gras), n. Quitch-grass; 
twitch. 
twitching (twich'ing), n. [Verbal n. of twitch 1 , 
v.] The act of one who or that which twitches ; 
especially, an involuntary convulsive jerking 
of the muscles, etc. See twitch 1 , n., 2. 
On the coarser semi-convulsive movements, twitching*, 
jerklngs, anil grimacings not rarely met with in hysteria 
I do not dwell. Lancet, 1890, I. 284. 
Flbtillary twitching, irregular spasmodic contraction 
of the fibrils of a muscle independent of each other. 
twiteH, v. t. An obsolete form of twit. 
twite'-'t, v. A variant of tlttcite. 
They ne rekke in what wyse, where ne when, 
Nor how vngoodly they on theyre mete twyte. 
Babeei Book (E. E. T. S.X p. 7. 
twite 3 (twit), H. [Said to be imitative of the 
cry of the bird.] A kind of linnet, the moun- 
tain-linnet, Linaria montium or L. flatirostris, a 
European bird of the family Fringillidx, nearly 
related to the redpoll, siskin, and goldfinch. 
twite-finch (twit'fineh), . The twite. 
twit-lark (twit'lark), n. A titlark or pipit. 
[Prov. Eng.] 
twitter 1 (twit'er), v. [< ME. twiterrn, twitren 
= D. kwettercn = OHG. zwiziron, MHG. zwit- 
zern, G. zwitschcrn = Sw. quittra = Dan. kvidrc, 
twitter; prob. orig. imitative.] I. intrans. 1. 
To utter a succession of small, tremulous 
sounds, as a bird ; sing in bird-notes ; chirp. 
The breezy call of Incense-breathing Morn, 
The swallow ttntt'ring from the straw-built shed. 
Gray, Elegy. 
2. To titter ; giggle. [Obsolete or provincial.] 
How the fool bridles ! How she tirittert at him ! 
Fletcher, Pilgrim, 111. 6. 
3. To quiver; tremble; palpitate; hence, to 
be in a nutter or fright. [Prov. Eng.] 
My Heart T\ritters. Bay, Eng. Words (1891X p. 77. 
How the slave tieitters .' You look not up at greatness ; 
you mind too much the worldly things that are beneath 
you. Brome, Sparagus Garden, ill. 5. 
To the unhinged toper and the tirittfriiig child, a huge 
bulk of blackness seemed to sweep down. 
R. L. Stevenson, Scribner's Mag., IV. 511. 
II. trans. 1. To sing or utter in bird-notes ; 
chirp out. 
Some small bird, half awake, 
Twittered an early ditty for his sake. 
R. H. Standard, The King's BelL 
2. To spin unevenly. [Prov. Eng.] 
To twitter thread or yarn. Ray, Eng. Words (1691), p. 77. 
twitter 1 (twit'er), H. [< ticitteri,v.~\ 1. A chirp 
or series of chirps, as of a bird, especially the 
swallow. 
Hark, 'tis the sparrows' good-night twitter 
About your cottage eaves ! 
Browning, The Lost Mistress. 
2. A fit of laughter; a titter. Hulliicett. [Prov. 
Eng.] 3. A tremble ; a flutter; a general ex- 
citement ; a pother : as, to be in (or of) a ttcit- 
two 
ter, or to be in or on the tiriltcrn. [Prov. Eng. 
and U. S.] 
I am all of a tirillertnteu my old John Ilarrowby again. 
Column null i.urrick. Clandestine .Marriage, L 1. 
This hangln' on niont' artcr tin ml' 
Fer HIM Hhitrp purpose 'mongst the tiritter, 
I t' II ymt. it ilitos kind <)' stunt 
The petit and sperit of a critter. 
Lowell, ISiglow Papers, 2d ser. , vll. 
twitter 2 (twit'er), . [< tu-it + -rr 1 .] On. 
who twits or reproaches. Imp. liirt. 
twitter 3 (twit'er), n. [Perhaps a dial, corrup- 
tion of flitter^ or fritter.] A shred; a frag- 
ment: used in the plural. Halliwell. [Prov. 
Eng.] 
twitter* (twit'er), H. [A dial. var. of quitter?.] 
The refuse or residuum of the case of the sperm- 
whale, a gummy and thready substance left 
when the case is squeezed. 
twitteration(twit-e-ra'shon), n. [< ttcitter 1 + 
-ation.] A twitter ; a flutter. [Slang.] 
When they struck up our hlood-stirrin' national air. It 
made me feel all over In a twitteralion, as if I was on wires 
a'most, considerable martial. 
llalibitrtnn, The Clockmaker, p. 378. (i'nc.vc. Diet.) 
twitter-hit (twit'er-bit), n. [Origin obscure.] 
The bottom of the countersink receiving the 
head of the screw which holds the blades of 
scissors together. E. H. Knight. 
twitter-bone (twit'er-bon), n. [< twitter*, as a 
var. of quitter?, + bone 1 .] An excrescence on a 
horse's hoof, due to a contraction. Halliwell. 
twitter-honed (twit'er-bond), a. Affected with 
twitter-bone; hence, shaky. 
His horse was either clapp'd, or spavin'd, or greaz'd ; or 
he was tintter-bon'd or broken-winded. 
Sterne, Tristram Shandy. 
twittering (twit'er-ing), . fVerbal n. of ttcit- 
ter 1 , v.] 1. The chirping of birds; also, any se- 
ries of small, clear, intermitted sounds resem- 
bling the notes of a bird. 
Phoebe awoke . . . with the early twittering of the con- 
jugal couple of robins in the pear-tree she heard move- 
ment* below stairs. llairthorne, Seven Gables, vll. 
2. A quivering; a flutter; a state of tremulous 
excitement indicative of alarm, suspense, de- 
sire, etc. 
A widow which had a twittering towards a second hus- 
band took a gossipping companion to manage the job. 
Sir R. L'JSttrange. 
twitterlightt (twit'er-lit), n. Twilight. 
You can steal secretly hither . . . 
At twilight, twitttrJightt ! 
Middleton, Your Five Oallauta, T. 1. 
twittingly (twit'ing-li), 'adv. In a twitting 
manner ; with taunts. 
In a long letter, having reckoned all his civilities to the 
English nation, he twittingly upbraided them there-wlth. 
C'lniilni, Hist. Queen Elizabeth, an. 1569. (Itichardton.) 
twittlet (twit'l), r. t. [A var. of tittle 1 ; cf. 
ticitter 1 in sense of titter*.] To chatter; bab- 
ble; tattle. 
His hystorie . . . tuiii.-i . . . tales out of scnoole. 
Stanihurnt, Epistle to Sir H. Sidney (.tjieid, ed. Arber, Int., 
(P-xL). 
twittle-twattlet (twit'l-twot'l), n. r< ticittle 
+ twattle, or a varied redupl. of twattle,] Tit- 
tle-tattle; gabble. 
All that ever he did was not worth so much as the licit 
tle-ttcattle that he maketh. 
Holland, tr. of Plutarch, p. 85. 
twit-twat (twit'twot), n. [Imitative.] The Eu- 
ropean house-sparrow, Passer domesticus. See 
cut under Passer. 
'twixt (twikst), prep. An abbreviation of be- 
twixt. 
It shall be cause of war and dire events, 
And set dissension 'ttrixt the son and sire. 
Shak., Venus and Adonis, 1. 1100. 
'twilt-brain (twikst'bran), n. Same as 'ticeeii- 
brain. Geyenbaur, Cpmp. Anal . (trans.), p. 503. 
twizzle (twiz'l), v. i. ; pret. and pp. ttrizzled, 
ppr. twizzling. [A var. of 'ticissel, v., lit. 
'double,' < ticissel, a.] To roll and twist. Hal- 
liwell. [Prov. Eng.] 
If a couple of waxed-ends [in the game of "cob-nut") 
became tirizzlnl, the boy who first could shout 
Twizzler, twlzzler! 
My fost blow 
took the first stroke when the waxed-ends were untwisted. 
X. and Q., 7th ser., IX. 138. 
two (to), a. and n. [< ME. tico. tica, prop. fern, 
and nent., the masc. being twaye, tweye, tirayii, 
tin-in, ticeyn, twtien, tireige, etc. (see train), 
< AS. twegen, m., twd, f., tird, 16, n., = OS. 
twenc, m., twd, two, t., tice, n., = OFries. twene, 
m., tied, f. and n., = D. twee = ML.G. tied. tn->; 
LG. tiree = OHG. swene, m., zwo, f., :wei, n., 
MHG. zicene, m., zwo, f., zwei, n., older G. 
zwcen, m., zwo, t., zwei, n., now zirei in all gen- 
