twitches
|twitch/es|
/twɪtʃ/
(twitch)
sudden movement
Etymology
'twitch' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'twiccian' (also recorded as 'twiccan'), where the root meant 'to pull' or 'to pluck'.
'twitch' changed from Old English 'twiccian' to Middle English forms such as 'twitche(n)' and eventually became the modern English word 'twitch'.
Initially, it meant 'to pull or pluck (often repeatedly)'; over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to make a short, sudden (often involuntary) movement'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'twitch': a small, sudden, involuntary movement or spasm of a muscle; a quick, brief jerk.
He has twitches in his eyelid whenever he's tired.
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Noun 2
small sudden movements (not limited to muscles), e.g., brief jerks or shudders of objects or materials.
Small twitches of the curtain showed the breeze had increased.
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Verb 1
third-person singular present of 'twitch': to make a short, sudden, involuntary movement or jerk (intransitive).
She twitches whenever she hears loud noises.
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Last updated: 2026/01/05 16:23