TWANG

twang, nasal twang

(noun) exaggerated nasality in speech (as in some regional dialects)

twang

(noun) a sharp vibrating sound (as of a plucked string)

twang

(verb) pronounce with a nasal twang

twang

(verb) pluck (strings of an instrument); “He twanged his bow”

twang

(verb) twitch or throb with pain

twang

(verb) sound with a twang; “the bowstring was twanging”

twang

(verb) cause to sound with a twang; “He twanged the guitar string”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

twang (plural twangs)

The sharp, quick sound of a vibrating tight string, for example, of a bow or a musical instrument.

(music) A particular sharp vibrating sound characteristic of electric guitars.

A trace of a regional or foreign accent in someone's voice.

(phonetics) The sound quality that appears in the human voice when the epilaryngeal tube is narrowed.

A sharp, disagreeable taste or flavor.

Verb

twang (third-person singular simple present twangs, present participle twanging, simple past and past participle twanged)

(ambitransitive) To produce or cause to produce a sharp vibrating sound, like a tense string pulled and suddenly let go.

(intransitive) To have a nasal sound.

(intransitive) To have a trace of a regional or foreign accent.

(music) To play a stringed musical instrument by plucking and snapping.

Coordinate terms

• brogue

• drawl

• lilt

• lisp

Source: Wiktionary


Twang, n.

Definition: A tang. See Tang a state. [R.]

Twang, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Twanged; p. pr. & vb. n. Twanging.] Etym: [Of imitative origin; cf. Tang a sharp sound, Tinkle.]

Definition: To sound with a quick, harsh noise; to make the sound of a tense string pulled and suddenly let go; as, the bowstring twanged.

Twang, v. t.

Definition: To make to sound, as by pulling a tense string and letting it go suddenly. Sounds the tough horn, and twangs the quivering string. Pope.

Twang, n.

1. A harsh, quick sound, like that made by a stretched string when pulled and suddenly let go; as, the twang of a bowstring.

2. An affected modulation of the voice; a kind of nasal sound. He has such a twang in his discourse. Arbuthnot.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

22 February 2025

ANALYSIS

(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’


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Coffee Trivia

In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.

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