Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Twinge?

\Twinge\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Twinged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Twinging}.] [OE. twengen, AS. twengan; akin to OE. twingen to pain, afflict, OFries. thwinga, twinga, dwinga, to constrain, D. dwingen, OS. thwingan, G. zwingen, OHG. dwingan, thwingan, to press, oppress, overcome, Icel. [thorn]vinga, Sw. tvinga to subdue, constrain, Dan. twinge, and AS. [thorn]["u]n to press, OHG. d[=u]hen, and probably to E. thong. Perhaps influenced by twitch. Cf. {Thong}.] 1. To pull with a twitch; to pinch; to tweak. When a man is past his sense, There's no way to reduce him thence, But twinging him by the ears or nose, Or laying on of heavy blows. --Hudibras. 2. To affect with a sharp, sudden pain; to torment with pinching or sharp pains. The gnat . . . twinged him [the lion] till he made him tear himself, and so mastered him. --L'Estrange.
\Twinge\, v. i. To have a sudden, sharp, local pain, like a twitch; to suffer a keen, darting, or shooting pain; as, the side twinges.
\Twinge\, n. 1. A pinch; a tweak; a twitch. A master that gives you . . . twinges by the ears. --L' Estrange. 2. A sudden sharp pain; a darting local pain of momentary continuance; as, a twinge in the arm or side. `` A twinge for my own sin.'' --Dryden.