twine

twine¹

—twineable, adj. —twiner, n.

/twuyn/, n., v., twined, twining.

n.

1. a strong thread or string composed of two or more strands twisted together.

2. an act of twining, twisting, or interweaving.

3. a coiled or twisted object or part; convolution.

4. a twist or turn in anything.

5. a knot or tangle.

v.t.

6. to twist together; interwind; interweave.

7. to form by or as by twisting together: to twine a wreath.

8. to twist (one strand, thread, or the like) with another; interlace.

9. to insert with a twisting or winding motion (usually fol. by in or into): He twined his fingers in his hair.

10. to clasp or enfold (something) around something else; place by or as if by winding (usually fol. by about, around, etc.): She twined her arms about the sculpture and carried it away.

11. to cause (a person, object, etc.) to be encircled with something else; wreathe; wrap: They twined the arch with flowers.

v.i.

12. to wind about something; twist itself in spirals (usually fol. by about, around, etc.): Strangling vines twined about the tree.

13. to wind in a sinuous or meandering course.

[bef. 900; ME twine (n.), twinen (v.), OE twin (n.) lit., a double or twisted thread; c. D twijn; akin to G Zwirn, ON tvinni thread, twine; see TWI-]

twine²

/twuyn/, v.t., v.i., twined, twining. Scot.

to separate; part.

Also, twin.

[1175-1225; late ME twinen, var. of earlier twinnen, deriv. of twin TWIN¹]

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