twit 1
/twit/ , v. , twitted, twitting , n.
v.t.
1. to taunt, tease, ridicule, etc., with reference to anything embarrassing; gibe at.
2. to reproach or upbraid.
n.
3. an act of twitting.
4. a derisive reproach; taunt; gibe.
[ 1520-30; aph. var. of obs. atwite, ME atwiten, OE aetwitan to taunt, equiv. to aet- AT 1 + witan to blame ]
twit 2
/twit/ , n.
a weak or thin place in yarn caused by uneven spinning.
[ 1810-20; orig. uncert. ]
twit 3
/twit/ , n. Informal.
an insignificant or bothersome person.
[ 1920-25; perh. orig. n. deriv. of TWIT 1 , i.e., "one who twits others," but altered in sense by assoc. with expressive words with tw- (TWADDLE, TWAT, TWERP, etc.) and by rhyme with NITWIT ]
twit 4
/twit/ , n.
an excited state; dither: to be in a twit about company coming.
[ prob. shortened from TWITTER ]