twitch

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

twitch, v. t. [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.  [1913 Webster]
"Thrice they twitched the diamond in her ear."  [1913 Webster]

twitch, n. 

•  The act of twitching; a pull with a jerk; a short, sudden, quick pull; as, a twitch by the sleeve.  [1913 Webster]
•  A short, spastic contraction of the fibers or muscles; a simple muscular contraction; as, convulsive twitches; a twitch in the side.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

twitch, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. (of the features, muscles, limbs, etc.) move or contract spasmodically.
2 tr. give a short sharp pull at.
--n.
1 a sudden involuntary contraction or movement.
2 a sudden pull or jerk.
3 colloq. a state of nervousness.
4 a noose and stick for controlling a horse during a veterinary operation.

Derivative

twitchy adj. (twitchier, twitchiest) (in sense 3 of n.).

Etymology

ME f. Gmc: cf. OE twiccian, dial. twick

THESAURUS

twitch

ache, acute pain, agonize, ail, anguish, bite, blanch, blench, bob, bobble, boring pain, bounce, breath, bump, charley horse, clutch, coup, crack, cramp, cramps, crick, darting pain, didder, dither, falter, feel pain, feel the pangs, fidget, flash, flick, flip, flip out, flirt, flounce, flutter, freak out on, fulgurant pain, get high on, girdle pain, glow, gnawing, go pitapat, grasp, grimace, griping, half a jiffy, half a mo, half a second, half a shake, have a misery, have the fidgets, have the shakes, heave, hitch, hurt, instant, itch, jar, jerk, jiff, jiffy, jig, jigger, jigget, jiggle, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jumping pain, kink, lancinating pain, lug, lurch, microsecond, millisecond, minute, moment, nip, palpitate, pang, pant, paroxysm, pinch, pluck, pound, prick, quake, quaver, quiver, rictus, sec, second, seizure, shake, sharp pain, shiver, shock, shoot, shooting, shooting pain, shrink, shudder, smart, snake, snap, snatch, spasm, split second, squirm, stab, stabbing pain, start, stitch, stroke, sudden pull, suffer, swell, swell with emotion, thrill, thrill to, throb, throes, tic, tick, tingle, tingle with excitement, tormen, toss, toss and turn, tremble, tremor, trice, tumble, turn on to, tweak, twinge, twink, twinkle, twinkling, twist and turn, twitter, two shakes, vellicate, wiggle, wince, wink, wobble, wrench, wriggle, writhe, yank, yerk

ROGET THESAURUS

twitch

Traction

VB draw, pull, haul, lug, rake, drag, tug, tow, trail, train, take in tow, wrench, jerk, twitch, touse, yank.

Physical Pain

N physical pain, pain, suffering, sufferance, suffrance, bodily pain, physical pain, bodily suffering, physical suffering, body pain, mental suffering, dolour, ache, aching, smart, shoot, shooting, twinge, twitch, gripe, headache, stomach ache, heartburn, angina, angina pectoris, hurt, cut, sore, soreness, discomfort, malaise, cephalalgia, earache, gout, ischiagra, lumbago, neuralgia, odontalgia, otalgia, podagra, rheumatism, sciatica, tic douloureux, toothache, tormina, torticollis, spasm, cramp, nightmare, ephialtes, crick, stitch, thrill, convulsion, throe, throb, pang, colic, kink, sharp pain, piercing pain, throbbing pain, shooting pain, sting, gnawing pain, burning pain, excruciating pain, anguish, agony, torment, torture, rack, cruciation, crucifixion, martyrdom, toad under a harrow, vivisection, in pain, in a state of pain, pained, gouty, podagric, torminous, painful, aching, sore, raw, Special Sensation (1) Touch.

VB feel pain, experience pain, suffer pain, undergo pain, suffer, ache, smart, bleed, tingle, shoot, twinge, twitch, lancinate, writhe, wince, make a wry face, sit on thorns, sit on pins and needles, give pain, inflict pain, lacerate, pain, hurt, chafe, sting, bite, gnaw, gripe, pinch, tweak, grate, gall, fret, prick, pierce, wring, convulse, torment, torture, rack, agonize, crucify, cruciate, excruciate, break on the wheel, put to the rack, flog, grate on the ear.