twig 1
— twigless , adj. — twiglike , adj.
/twig/ , n.
1. a slender shoot of a tree or other plant.
2. a small offshoot from a branch or stem.
3. a small, dry, woody piece fallen from a branch: a fire of twigs.
4. Anat. one of the minute branches of a blood vessel or nerve.
[ bef. 950; ME; OE twig, twigge, orig. (something) divided in two; akin to OHG zwig (G Zweig ), D twijg; cf. Skt dvikás double ]
twig 2
/twig/ , v. , twigged, twigging . Brit.
v.t.
1. to look at; observe: Now, twig the man climbing there, will you?
2. to see; perceive: Do you twig the difference in colors?
3. to understand.
v.i.
4. to understand.
[ 1755-65; tuigim I understand, with E w reflecting the offglide before i of the velarized Ir t typical of southern Ireland; cf. DIG 2 ]
twig 3
/twig/ , n. Brit.
style; fashion.
[ 1805-15; orig. uncert. ]