Twit
(Twit) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Twitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Twitting.] [OE. atwiten, AS. ætwitan to reproach,
blame; æt at + witan to reproach, blame; originally, to observe, see, hence, to observe what is wrong (cf.
the meanings of E. animadvert; akin to G. verweisen to censure, OHG. firwizan, Goth. traweitan to avenge,
L. videre to see. See Vision, Wit.] To vex by bringing to notice, or reminding of, a fault, defect, misfortune,
or the like; to revile; to reproach; to upbraid; to taunt; as, he twitted his friend of falsehood.
This these scoffers twitted the Christian with.
Tillotson.
Æsop
minds men of their errors, without twitting them for what is amiss.
L'Estrange. Twitch
(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. Twitch
(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.
Twitcher
(Twitch"er) n. One who, or that which, twitches.
Twitch grass
(Twitch" grass`) (Bot.) See Quitch grass.
Twite
(Twite) n. (Zoöl.) (a) The European tree sparrow. (b) The mountain linnet (Linota flavirostris).
[Prov. Eng.]
Twitlark
(Twit"lark`) n. (Zoöl.) The meadow pipit. [Prov. Eng.]
Twitter
(Twit"ter) n. [From Twit.] One who twits, or reproaches; an upbraider.
Twitter
(Twit"ter), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Twittered ; p. pr. & vb. n. Twittering.] [OE. twiteren; of imitative
origin; cf. G. zwitschern, OHG. zwizzirn, D. kwetteren, Sw. qwitra, Dan. quiddre. Cf. Titter.]
