tweak

English

/twiːk/

verb
Definitions
  • (transitive) To pinch and pull with a sudden jerk and twist; to twitch.
  • (transitive) To adjust slightly; to fine-tune.
  • (transitive) To twit or tease.
  • (intransitive) To abuse methamphetamines, especially crystal meth.
  • (intransitive) To exhibit symptoms of methamphetamine abuse, such as extreme nervousness, compulsiveness, erratic motion, excitability; possibly a blend of twitch and freak.
  • (intransitive) To exhibit extreme nervousness, evasiveness when confronted by law enforcement or other authority (e.g., customs agents, border patrol, teacher, etc.), mimicking methamphetamine abuse symptoms.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English twikken inherited from Old English twiccian (pluck) inherited from *twekkōn (pinch, clamp, fasten).

Origin

*twekkōn

Gloss

pinch, clamp, fasten

Concept
Semantic Field

Sense perception

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Emoji
🤌

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms