The verb is derived from Middle English twengen (“to nip, pinch, tweak; to tear at”), from Old English twenġan (“to pinch, squeeze”), from Proto-West Germanic *twangijan (“to pinch, squeeze”), from Proto-Germanic *twangijaną (“to pinch, squeeze”), the causative form of *twinganą (“to press, squeeze”); further etymology uncertain, possibly related to *þwangiz (“belt, strap, thong; pressure, restraint”) or *þwinganą, *þwinhaną (“to constrain; to force”) (whence German zwingen), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *twenk- (“to press, pressure, squeeze”). However, the Oxford English Dictionary says there is no evidence for such a relationship. The noun is derived from the verb.
1
To have a sudden, pinching or sharp pain in a specific part of the body, like a twitch.
That ring-dove, who was cooing half-a-mile away, has hushed his moan; that flock of long-tailed titmice, which were twinging and pecking about the fir-cones a few minutes since, are gone; and now there is not even a gnat to quiver in the slant sun-rays.1858 April, Charles Kingsley, “My Winter-garden”, in Miscellanies […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […], published 1859, →OCLC, page 146:
3
Dialectal, Obsolete To pull and twist (someone or something); to pinch, to tweak, to twitch, to wring.
I tell thee, I do vſe to teare their hair, to kick them, and to tvvindge their noſes, if they be not carefull in auoiding me.1606 (date written), [Francis Beaumont; John Fletcher], The Woman Hater. […], London: […] [Robert Raworth], and are to be sold by John Hodgets […], published 1607, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, signature D2, verso:
Thus Captaine Beſſus, thus; thus tvvinge your noſe, thus kicke, thus tread you.1612 January 5 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Francis Beaumont, Iohn Fletcher, A King and No King. […], London: […] [John Beale] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1619, →OCLC, Act V, page 72:
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Eaſe his pockets / Of a ſuperfluous VVatch, or geld a ievvell / Of an odde ſtone, or ſo. Tvvinge three or foure buttons / From off my Ladyes govvne. Theſe are the arts / Or ſeuen liberall deadly ſciences / of Pagery, or rather Paganiſme, / As the tides run.1629 (first performance), B[en] Jonson, The New Inne. Or, The Light Heart. […], London: […] Thomas Harper, for Thomas Alchorne, […], published 1631, →OCLC, Act I, scene iii, signature B4, recto:
[E]ntring into the pores of the ſkin, it [coldness] keeps back and drives in again the little bodies of heat, by oppoſing the bodies of cold, and vvith its little ſharp corners, it tears and tvvingeth all things vvhereſoever it paſſes.1659–1660, Thomas Stanley, “[The Doctrine of Epicurus.] Chap[ter] XV. Qualities from Atoms, Considered according to Their Properties, Taken together.”, in The History of Philosophy, the Third and Last Volume, […], volume III, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], →OCLC, 5th part (Containing the Epicurean Sect), 2nd part of philosophy (Physick, or, Of Nature), page 163:
For vvhen a Man is paſt his Senſe, / There's no way to Reduce him thence, / But tvvinging him by th' Ears, or Noſe, / Or laying on of heavy Blovvs, / And if that vill not do the Deed, / To burning vvith Hot Irons proceed.1677 (indicated as 1678), [Samuel Butler], “Canto I”, in Hudibras. The Third and Last Part. […], London: […] Simon Miller, […], →OCLC, page 67:
Thou twingest therewith as doth a (pair of) tongs.1867, Richard Morris, “Notes”, in Specimens of Early English Selected from the Chief English Authors A.D. 1250–A.D. 1400 […] (Clarendon Press Series), Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 399:
4
Obsolete To affect or torment (someone, their mind, or part of their body) with one or more sudden, pinching or sharp pains; to irritate.
For the Chiefeſt cauſe of pain in VVounds of the nerves is the excrementitious matter ſhut up; vvhich being overlong detayned getteth to it ſelf a depraved quality, pulleth and tvvingeth the Nerves, and at length putrifieth.1661, Daniel Sennert, “Of the Wounds of the Nerves, and Tendons, in General, and of the Pricking of the Nerves”, in [Nicholas Culpeper; Abdiah Cole], transl., The Art of Chirurgery, Explained in Six Parts … being the Whol Fifth Book of Practical Physick, London: […] Peter Cole and Edward Cole, […], →OCLC, book V (Of the External Diseases), part IV (Of Wounds), page 2676, column 1:
The Gnat Charg'd into the Noſtrils of the Lyon, and there Tvving'd him, till he made him Tear himſelf vvith his Ovvn Pavvs. And in the Concluſion he Maſter'd the Lyon.1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Barlandus, &c.] Fab[le] CCI. A Gnat Challenges a Lyon.”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC, page 171:
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[T]vving'd vvith pain, he penſive ſits, / And raves, and prays, and ſvvears by fits, […]1727, [John] Gay, “Fable XXXI. The Universal Apparition.”, in Fables, 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] J[acob] Tonson and J. Watts, published 1728, →OCLC, page 118:
[N]othing did tvvinge my Conſcience like this: Every time that I thought of the Lord Jeſus, of his Grace, Love, Goodneſs, Kindneſs, Gentleneſs, Meekneſs, Death, Blood, Promiſes and bleſſed Exhortations, Comforts and Conſolations, it vvent to my Soul like a Svvord; […]1692, John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: […], 7th edition, London: […] Robert Ponder, […], →OCLC, paragraph 184, page 89:
[I]f any of his father's old notions of economy by chance twinged his conscience, Belle very judiciously asked how he ever came to think of her for a wife?1804, Maria Edgeworth, “Out of Debt, Out of Danger. Chapter I. The Contests of Vanity are the Death of Common Sense.”, in Popular Tales, volume I, London: Printed for J[oseph] Johnson, […], [b]y C. Mercier and Co., […], →OCLC, page 321:
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The Archbishop of Liege, formerly a great adherent and ally of [Napoleon] Buonaparte, has found his conscience alarmingly twinged by so ominous a declaration on the part of a Calvinistic monarch, and has already made his remonstrance against this part of the proposed constitution in a pastoral letter, which is couched in a very determined language.1816, [Walter Scott], “Letter X. Paul to ——, Esq. of ——.”, in Paul’s Letters to His Kinsfolk, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, and John Murray, →OCLC, pages 229–230:
The verb is derived from Middle English twengen (“to nip, pinch, tweak; to tear at”), from Old English twenġan (“to pinch, squeeze”), from Proto-West Germanic *twangijan (“to pinch, squeeze”), from Proto-Germanic *twangijaną (“to pinch, squeeze”), the causative form of *twinganą (“to press, squeeze”); further etymology uncertain, possibly related to *þwangiz (“belt, strap, thong; pressure, restraint”) or *þwinganą, *þwinhaną (“to constrain; to force”) (whence German zwingen), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *twenk- (“to press, pressure, squeeze”). However, the Oxford English Dictionary says there is no evidence for such a relationship. The noun is derived from the verb.
1
A sudden, pinching or sharp pain in a specific part of the body, especially one lasting for a short time.
I got a twinge in my arm.
Sir Boun[teous Progress]. You feele as it vvere a tvvinge my Lord? / Folly-vv [i.e., Richard Follywit]. I, ee'n a tvvinge, you ſay right. / Sir Boun. A pox diſcouer e'm, that tvvinge I feele too.c. 1605 (first performance), T[homas] M[iddleton], A Mad World, My Masters. […], London: […] H[enry] B[allard] for Walter Burre, […], published 1608, →OCLC, Act II, signature D, recto:
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[T]he gout, […] gave him such severe twinges that it was plain enough how intolerable it would be if he were not well supplied with rings of rare virtue, and with an amulet worn close under the right breast.1862 July – 1863 August, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “A Learned Squabble”, in Romola. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1863, →OCLC, book I, page 133:
The two Gordon setters came obediently to heel. Sir Oswald Feiling winced as he turned to go home. He had felt a warning twinge of lumbago. He must get back to the fireside and a hot-water bottle in the small of the back.1935, Francis Beeding [pseudonym; John Leslie Palmer and Hilary Aidan Saint George Saunders], chapter VII, in The Norwich Victims (An Inspector Martin Mystery), London: Arcturus Publishing, published 2013, →ISBN, section 2 (Friday, December 11th), page 163:
"Easy!" exclaimed Arthur, a half-contemptuous twinge in his lip, and added: "I take it that the simple question with me is, what is right, and what is best."1860, J[osiah] G[ilbert] Holland, “Hucklebury Run and its Enterprising Proprietor”, in Miss Gilbert’s Career: An American Story, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner, […]; London: Sampson Law, Son & Co., →OCLC, page 38:
3
Figuratively A sudden, sharp feeling of an emotional or mental nature, as of guilt or sadness; a pang, a paroxysm, a throe; also, a prick of the conscience.
a twinge of embarrassment
[T]he VVickedneſs of this old Villain ſtartles me, and gives me a tvvinge for my ovvn Sin; though it come far ſhort of his: […]1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act IV, page 48:
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[W]ho vvould not rather Sleep Quietly upon a Hammock, vvithout either Cares in his Head, or Crudities in his Stomach, then lye Carking upon a Bed of State, vvith the Qualms and Tvvinges that accompany Surfeits and Exceſs?1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[Miscellany Fables.] Fab[le] CCCLXXXIII. A Spider and the Gout [Reflexion].”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC, page 355:
And not a tongue enquires, hovv, vvhere, or vvhen, / Though conſcience vvill have tvvinges novv and then; […]1781 (date written), William Cowper, “Table Talk”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1782, →OCLC, page 22:
I believe it cost the vicar some twinges of conscience to persuade him that all I should want would be £40 a year; and it was very hard work, but at last we succeeded, and it was so settled.1859–1861, [Thomas Hughes], “Hardy’s History”, in Tom Brown at Oxford: […], part 1st, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, published 1861, →OCLC, page 117:
"You don't think he'll rusticate us, or any thing of that sort?" said Tom, who had felt horrible twinges at the captain's picture of the effects of rustication on ordinary mortals.1859–1861, [Thomas Hughes], “The Captain’s Notions”, in Tom Brown at Oxford: […], part 1st, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, published 1861, →OCLC, page 192:
4
Figuratively A sudden, sharp occurrence of something; a nip.
5
UK, Dialectal Synonym of earwig (“insect of the order Dermaptera”).
6
Obsolete An act of pulling and twisting; a pinch, a tweak, a twitch.
[T]he ſpirite of Jeſus hath (as it were) nipped my herte alſo with a litell twynge, […]1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Ghospell of S. Luke. The Prologue.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio xiiii, verso:
For the tvvinge by th' noſe, / 'Tis certainly unſightly, ſo my tables ſaies, / But helpes againſt the head-ache, vvondrous ſtrangely.c. 1615–1616, Thomas Middleton, John Fletcher, “The Nice Valour, or, The Passionate Mad-man”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene ii, page 156, column 1:
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I VVonder (ſays a Sovv to a Spaniel) hovv you can Favvn thus upon a Maſter that gives you ſo many Blovvs, and Tvvinges by the Ears. VVell (ſays the Dog) but then ſet the Good Bits, and the Good VVords he gives me, againſt Thoſe Blovvs and Tvvinges, and I'm a Gainer by the Bargain.1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Abstemius, &c.] Fab[le] CCXCIII. A Spaniel and a Sow.”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC, page 255:
Gently thou joggest by a twinge the wit, […]1869, Robert Browning, “IX. Juris Doctor Johannes-Baptista Bottinius.”, in The Ring and the Book. […], volume III, London: Smith, Elder and Co., →OCLC, page 182, line 146: