[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/twig.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / twig

[← T](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/T/)

# twig

«twig» in Mova's school dictionary: **A small, thin branch of a tree or bush** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a twig, twigs); verb (twig, twigs, twigged, twigging — UK informal)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A small, thin branch of a tree or bush. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#m1)

2) (UK, informal verb) To suddenly understand something or realise what is going on. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In science and nature lessons: parts of a tree (trunk, branch, twig, leaf), birds' nests made of twigs, kindling for a fire. In stories, a snapping twig warns that someone is coming. Informally, «I finally twigged» means «I finally understood».

### examples

- The bird built its nest from twigs and moss. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x1)
- A twig snapped under his foot in the dark wood. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x2)
- We collected dry twigs to start the campfire. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x3)
- The stick insect looked just like a twig. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x4)
- It took me ages to twig that she was joking. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x5)
- Did you twig who sent the card? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x6)
- Count the twigs: there are 4 on each branch and 3 branches, so 12 twigs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x7)
- From every twig glistened a white radiance. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x8)

### note

Countable: a twig, two twigs. The verb doubles the g: twigged, twigging. A twig is smaller than a branch; a stick is a twig or branch that has fallen off. «Twig» meaning understand is informal, mainly British.

### In the corpora

- [Wild chimpanzees make tools: they fish for termites with stripped twigs, crack nuts with stones and use leaves as sponges.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/84-ape-house-gorillas-and-chimpanzees/7/)
- [Goats prefer leaves, twigs and shrubs to grass, and in Morocco some goats climb argan trees to eat the fruit.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/211-sheep-and-goats-wool-flocks-climbers-and-the-tin-can-myth/10/)
- [A stick insect sways like a twig in the wind and drops to the floor stiff as a stick when touched.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/330-unusual-pets-stick-insects-giant-snails-ant-farms-and-hermit-crabs/2/)
- [A cut horse chestnut twig kept in water indoors opens its buds early.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/333-the-garden-in-spring-buds-frogspawn-queen-bumblebees-and-nesting-birds/5/)
- [Elk are good swimmers and eat water plants as well as twigs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/372-ukraine-s-forests-bison-elk-lynx-wolves-and-carpathian-brown-bears/11/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «twig» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.