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twinge

(twĭnj)

1. A sharp, sudden physical pain. See Synonyms at pain.

2. A mental or emotional pain: a twinge of guilt.

v. twinged, twing·ing, twing·es

v.intr.

To feel or be the source of a twinge or twinges: My knee twinged as I stepped off the curb.

v.tr.

1. To cause to feel a twinge or twinges: His conscience twinged him.

2. Obsolete To tweak; pinch.

[From Middle English twengen, to pinch, from Old English twengan.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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