twig

Meanings

Noun

• A small thin branch of a tree or bush.

Verb

• To beat with twigs.
• To realise something; to catch on; to recognize someone or something.
• To understand the meaning of (a person); to comprehend.
• To observe slyly; also, to perceive; to discover.
• To twitch; to pull; to tweak.

Related

Similar words

• tillow
• fathom, figure out, grasp, ken#Etymology_2, work out
• check out, peep, spy on, surveil

Origin

• From Middle English twig, twyg, from Old English twiġ, from Proto-Germanic *twīgą (compare West Frisian twiich, Dutch twijg, German Zweig), from Proto-Indo-European *dweygʰom (compare Old Church Slavonic двигъ ("branch"), Albanian degë ("branch")), from *dwóh₁. More at two.
• From Irish and Scottish Gaelic tuig.
• Compare tweak.