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# twig

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

«twig» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A small, thin branch of a tree or bush. [tree →](https://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://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#m2)

### 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://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x1)
- A twig snapped under his foot in the dark wood. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x2)
- We collected dry twigs to start the campfire. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x3)
- The stick insect looked just like a twig. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x4)
- It took me ages to twig that she was joking. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x5)
- Did you twig who sent the card? [tree →](https://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://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/#x7)
- From every twig glistened a white radiance. [tree →](https://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 Jewish tradition

In Isaiah and Ezekiel it means a young branch. It is used as a picture of a new royal descendant or a young ruler.

**Interpretation.** Isaiah's twig from the stock of Jesse is read as the future ideal king from David's family, the Messiah. In Ezekiel the cropped twig is read as the exile of King Jehoiachin.

### Examples

- And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots. (Prophets ISA.11.1, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/twig/#x1)
- He cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof, and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants. (Prophets EZK.17.4, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/twig/#x2)

### 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.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «twig» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/twig/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«twig» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/twig.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «twig» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/twig/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«twig» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/twig.html) on Mova free.