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Meaning of TWITCH

Pronunciation:  twich

WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. [n]  a sudden muscle spasm; especially one caused by a nervous condition
  2. [v]  make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion; "his face is twitching"
  3. [v]  move or pull with a sudden motion
  4. [v]  squeeze tightly between the fingers; "He pinched her behind"; "She squeezed the bottle"
  5. [v]  move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions; "The patient's legs were jerkings"
  6. [v]  toss with a sharp movement so as to cause to turn over in the air
 
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 Synonyms: flip, jerk, jerk, nip, pinch, squeeze, tweet, twinge, twitching, vellication
 
 See Also: blepharism, cramp, draw, fasciculation, fibrillate, fibrillation, force, grip, move, move involuntarily, move reflexively, muscle spasm, pull, skitter, spasm, tic, tweak

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. \Twitch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Twitched}; p. pr. & vb. n.
    {Twitching}.] [OE. twicchen, fr. (doubtful) AS. twiccian;
    akin to AS. angeltwicca a worm used for bait, literally, a
    hook twitcher, LG. twikken to tweak, G. zwicken. Cf.
    {Tweak}.]
    To pull with a sudden jerk; to pluck with a short, quick
    motion; to snatch; as, to twitch one by the sleeve; to twitch
    a thing out of another's hand; to twitch off clusters of
    grapes.
          Thrice they twitched the diamond in her ear. --Pope.
    
  2. \Twitch\, n.
    1. The act of twitching; a pull with a jerk; a short, sudden,
       quick pull; as, a twitch by the sleeve.
    2. A short, spastic contraction of the fibers or muscles; a
       simple muscular contraction; as, convulsive twitches; a
       twitch in the side.
    3. (Far.) A stick with a hole in one end through which passes
       a loop, which can be drawn tightly over the upper lip or
       an ear of a horse. By twisting the stick the compression
       is made sufficiently painful to keep the animal quiet
       during a slight surgical operation. --J. H. Walsh.
    
 

 

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