twitch

¹

[ twich ]

verb (used with object)

1. to tug or pull at with a quick, short movement; pluck:

   She twitched him by the sleeve.

2. to jerk rapidly:

   The rider twitched the reins a couple of times.

3. to move (a part of the body) with a sudden, jerking motion.
4. to pinch or pull at sharply and painfully; give a smarting pinch to; nip.

verb (used without object)

1. to move spasmodically or convulsively; jerk; jump.
2. to give a sharp, sudden pull; tug; pluck (usually followed by at ):

   He constantly twitched at his collar.

3. to ache or hurt with a sharp, shooting pain; twinge:

   That back tooth twitches a bit.

noun

1. a quick, jerky movement of the body or of some part of it.
2. involuntary, spasmodic movement of a muscle; tic:

   He gets a twitch in his left eye when he's nervous.

3. a short, sudden pull or tug; jerk.
4. a bodily or mental twinge, as of pain, conscience, etc.; pang.
5. a loop or noose placed over the muzzle of a horse and tightened by twisting a stick or handle to which it is attached, used as a restraining device during a painful operation.

Twitch

²

[ twich ]

Trademark.

1. a brand name for a livestreaming video platform, primarily delivering video game content with audio commentary and concurrent online chat among viewers.

twitch

/ twɪtʃ /

verb

1. to move or cause to move in a jerky spasmodic way
2. tr to pull or draw (something) with a quick jerky movement
3. intr to hurt with a sharp spasmodic pain
4. rare.
   tr to nip

noun

1. a sharp jerking movement
2. a mental or physical twinge
3. a sudden muscular spasm, esp one caused by a nervous condition Compare tic
4. a loop of cord used to control a horse by drawing it tight about its upper lip

Derived Forms

• ˈtwitching, adjectivenoun

Other Words From

• twitcher noun
• twitching·ly adverb
• un·twitched adjective
• un·twitching adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of twitch¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English twicchen (verb); akin to Old English twiccian “to pluck”; cognate with German zwicken “to pinch”

Word History and Origins

Origin of twitch¹

Old English twiccian to pluck; related to Old High German zwecchōn to pinch, Dutch twicken

Example Sentences

Stake may be shameless about using its Kick stars to promote gambling, but its marketing strategies are not isolated to their Twitch knockoff.

From Slate

In 2022, many Twitch streamers like Canadian star xQc were offered what seemed like an infinite money glitch to gamble freely on Stake as long as they streamed their slot binges, blackjack games, and mini-games such as Plinko while live; xQc reportedly bet an estimated $685 million on the site with the company’s help.

From Slate

In response, Craven and Tehrani created Kick, a competitor streaming site, and tempted Twitch streamers with massive contracts to hop platforms and gamble freely.

From Slate

It’s any number of YouTube streams, Twitch streams, content-creator feeds, alternative social media networks, mainstream social media networks.

From Slate

There was even a primary news cycle—damaging at the time, but perhaps we’ll soon see Democrats’ embracing of this kind of thing in order to appeal to the casually racist and misogynistic Twitch streamer demographic—about Biden’s history of getting handsy with women in ways that made them uncomfortable.

From Slate

Related Words

• blink
• flutter
• jerk
• jiggle
• shudder
• tremble