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Definition of twig

twig

/twɪɡ/
twig
Plural:twigs
•
Adjective:twiggy
•
Past Simple:twigged
•
Past Participle:twigged
•
Present Participle:twigging
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twig Lexical Profile

twig Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, slender shoot or branch growing from the stem or larger branch of a tree or shrub.

Example

"The bird carefully gathered dry twigs and grass to construct its nest in the oak tree."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• verb

1

British To suddenly understand, realize, or figure out the meaning of something.

Example

"It took him a moment, but he finally twigged that his friends were organizing a surprise party for him."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for twig

• Nearby Words

twerp
twice
twiddle
twig
twig catfish
twig snake
twiggy

Word Origin & Etymology

The noun comes from Old English 'twig', from Proto-Germanic '*twigą' (forked branch, twofold). The informal verb meaning 'to understand' originated in the 18th century, likely borrowed from the Irish or Scottish Gaelic word 'tuig', meaning 'to understand'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Twig. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/twig
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