twinge

Meaning

1. To pull with a twitch; to pinch; to tweak.
2. To affect with a sharp, sudden pain; to torment with pinching or sharp pains.
3. To have a sudden, sharp, local pain, like a twitch; to suffer a keen, darting, or shooting pain.

prick

stabbing pain

dull pain

sharp pain

sudden pain

have pain

roasting on a spit

acute pain

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/twɪnd͡ʒ/

Inherited from Middle English

Inherited from Old English

Cognate with Old High German

Cognate with Old English

In summary

From Middle English twengen, from Old English twenġan (“to pinch, squeeze, twinge”), from Proto-West Germanic *twangijan, from Proto-Germanic *twangijaną (“to jam, pinch”), causative of Proto-Germanic *twinganą (“to press, clamp”), of uncertain origin, but probably related to *þwangiz (“belt, strap, clamp”). See also Old High German zwengen (“to pinch”), Old English twingan (“to press, force”).

Bookmark this

Improve your pronunciation