twig

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtwig 

1

: a small shoot or branch usually without its leaves

2

: a minute branch of a nerve or artery

twigged

ˈtwigd 

adjective

twiggy

ˈtwi-gē 

adjective

twig

2 of 3

verb

twigged; twigging

transitive verb

1

: notice, observe

2

: to understand the meaning of : comprehend

intransitive verb

: to gain a grasp : understand

twigged instinctively about things

—H. E. Bates

twig

3 of 3

noun (2)

British

: fashion, style

Synonyms

Verb

• appreciate
• apprehend
• assimilate
• behold
• catch
• catch on (to)
• cognize
• compass
• comprehend
• conceive
• cotton (to or on to)
• decipher
• decode
• dig
• discern
• get
• grasp
• grok
• intuit
• know
• make
• make out
• perceive
• recognize
• register
• savvy
• see
• seize
• sense
• tumble (to)
• understand

Examples of twig in a Sentence

Verb

He seemed confused until he twigged that something was going on.

I had to explain it to him three times but he finally twigged.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But my green thumb ached as workers sawed down the tree, took away everything — trunk, twigs, leaves, fruit, roots — in biohazard bags and tagged the remaining trees with a bill of clean health. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

The cardboard Christmas houses, decorated with glitter, twigs, and other items, are said to have originated with the Moravians who once created decorative Christmas villages built around Christmas trees, generally as an extension of a nativity. —Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2024

Verb

Which twigged Kotb to the fact that there’s most likely a secret date already on the books. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 July 2024

Despite finding themselves in the exact same spot in the hotel gardens, Harris didn’t twig that something was afoot. —Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 26 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English twigge, from Old English; akin to Old High German zwīg twig, Old English twā two

Verb

perhaps from Irish & Scottish Gaelic tuig- understand

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1764, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1811, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing twig

• lime-twig

Kids Definition

twig

noun

ˈtwig

: a small shoot or branch usually without its leaves

twiggy

ˈtwig-ē

adjective

Medical Definition

twig

noun

ˈtwig 

: a minute branch of a nerve or artery

twigs of sensory nerves in the skin

—Lynda Charters