I. ˈtwaŋ, -aiŋ noun
( -s )
Etymology: imitative
1. : a harsh quick ringing sound like that of a plucked bowstring
could hear the twang and slam of a screen door — Laurence Critchell
2.
a. : nasal speech or resonance — called also nasal twang
the twang of the backwoods journalist — Ben Crisler
b. : the characteristic speech of a region, locality, or group of people
a cockney twang
the twang of native speech — Hersteinn Palsson
a good clean American twang — D.C.Peattie
3.
a. : an act of plucking or twitching : a sharp picking or pulling
b. : pang , twinge
feel twangs of conscience — R.L.Neuberger
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to give forth the quick harsh ringing sound of or as if of the plucked string of a bow or a musical instrument
the bow twanged and the arrow shot across — T.B.Costain
the fence gate twanged — Elizabeth Bowen
b. : to produce a twanging sound by or as if by plucking a stringed musical instrument
twanged away at his guitar
2. : to speak or sound with a nasal intonation
the voices of the card players came twanging up the stairwell — Jean Stafford
3. : to vibrate, throb, or twitch with or as if with pain or tension
a blistered heel, a twanging tendon — D.R.Brower
their eyeballs danced and their muscles twanged — English Digest
transitive verb
1.
a. : to cause to sound with a twang : pluck the strings of
encouraged them to twang lutes, scrape fiddles and burst into humorous song — John Blofeld
b. : to play (music) by plucking a stringed instrument : pick or beat out (a tune)
banjo players twanged music for a breakdown — American Guide Series: Florida
2. : to utter or pronounce with a nasal twang
the high timbre with which he twanged out his cynicisms — Josephine Pinckney
3.
a. : to pluck the string of (a bow)
twanged his bow
b. : to discharge (an arrow) from a bow
twanged off an arrow that missed the deer
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration (influenced by twang ) (I) of tang
1. : a persisting flavor, taste, or odor : taint , tang
butter left uncovered in a refrigerator readily takes on a twang from other foods
2. : note , suggestion , trace
likes a sporty twang about his apparel — advt