twitch
pronunciation
How to pronounce twitch in British English:
UK [twɪtʃ]
How to pronounce twitch in American English:
US [twɪtʃ]
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- Noun:
- a sudden muscle spasm; especially one caused by a nervous condition
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- Verb:
- make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion
- move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions
- toss with a sharp movement so as to cause to turn over in the air
- squeeze tightly between the fingers
- move or pull with a sudden motion
Word Origin
- twitch
- twitch: see twig
- twitch (v.)
- late 12c., to-twic-chen "pull apart with a quick jerk," related to Old English twiccian "to pluck, gather, catch hold of," from Proto-Germanic *twikjon- (cognates: Low German twicken, Dutch twikken, Old High German gizwickan, German zwicken "to pinch, tweak"). Related: Twitched; twitching.
- twitch (n.)
- 1520s, from twitch (v.).
Example
- 1. There must be jimmy-or what 's her twitch for ?
- 2. Two hours in and tom 's fingers were starting to twitch .
- 3. Her twitch alone denied all hope , discounted all illusion .
- 4. This can cause people in rem sleep to twitch and groan , sometimes flailing about and injuring their bedmates .
- 5. He disputed luigi galvani 's contention that a frog 's leg was producing the electricity that made it twitch .