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twitch

(twĭch)

v. twitched, twitch·ing, twitch·es

v.tr.

To draw, pull, or move suddenly and sharply; jerk: I twitched my fishing line.

v.intr.

1. To move jerkily or spasmodically.

2. To ache sharply from time to time; twinge.

1. A sudden involuntary or spasmodic muscular movement: a twitch of the eye.

2. A sudden pulling; a tug: The fish gave my line a twitch.

3. A sudden, sharp pain.

[Middle English twicchen; possibly akin to Low German twikken.]

twitching·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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