Forms: α. 6 twyte, (twhyte), 6–7 (9 dial.) twite, (twight). β. 6– twit, (7 twitt, twytt); 6 pa. pple. twyte, twit. [Orig. twite (with long i), aphetic form of ATWITE, q.v.]
1. trans. To blame, find fault with, censure, reproach, upbraid (a person), esp. in a light or annoying way; to cast an imputation upon; to taunt.
1530. Palsgr., 764/2. I twhyte one, I caste hym in the tethe or in the nose, je luy reprouche. This terme is also northren.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., II. iii. (Arb.), 36. No man for despite, By worde or by write His felowe to twite.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 127. I take him very … simpely wittid, That may the second tyme be iustly twittid.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. i. 178. Hath he not twit our Soueraigne Lady here With ignominious words…? As if she had suborned some to sweare False allegations.
1633. T. Adams, Exp. 2 Peter ii. 22. An Egyptian priest thus twitted Solon, You Grecians are ever Children.
1814. D’Israeli, Quarrels Auth. (1867), 364. The Antiquarian Society were twitted as medal-scrapers.
1865. Trollope, Belton Est., viii. Anything would be better than being twitted in this way. How can I help it that I am not a man…?
b. Const. most usually with; also about (rare), for, of (now rare or obs.), on; † also with clause or infin. (obs. rare).
1563. Harding, Answ. Welles Challenge (1565), 6. The woont of some feastemakers, who of their neighbours twited with nyggardnes [etc.].
1569. J. Sanford, trans. Agrippa’s Van. Artes, 116 b. And twite their husbandes with the courtly excesse.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 374. Ill may the Snight the Woodcock twight for his long bill.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 80. To twit him, That he had like to haue knockt his hand against the gallowes.
1593. T. Watson, Tears of Fancie, lviii. Yet still I twit my selfe of Surcuidrie.
1593. Drayton, Eclogues, ii. 14. Nor twit me so, my senses to have lost.
1612. Beaum. & Fl., Cupid’s Rev., IV. iii. You do not twit me with my calling, neighbor?
1613. T. Adams, Heav. & Earth Reconciled, Wks. 1861, I. 469. Shall they twit us, that our Our Father hath taken from the church what their Paternoster bestowed on it?
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, II. ix. 186. Hannah though silent when twitted by Peninnah of barrenness, found her tongue when … taxed by Eli of drunkenness.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., vi. 19. Twitting them … for their Idolatry.
1743. Fielding, Journey, I. xv. My friend … now twitting me with all his kindness,… discarded me for ever.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, Dec. an. 1775 (1831), III. 295. He was twitted by Mrs. Thrale for being very late.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xix. IV. 308. Those who held this language were twitted with their inconsistency.
1870. Lit. World, 16 Dec., 387. When twitted for his inconsistency.
1871. Tyndall, Fragm. Sc. (1879), II. xv. 381. The opponent of the undulatory theory might effectually twit the holder of it on his change of front.
1877. Whittier, in Pickard, Life (1894), II. 635. It is bad enough to be old, without being twitted of it.
1882. L’Estrange, Friendships Miss Mitford, I. vii. 176. She was sometimes twitted about partialities for her cousin.
c. Also to twit (a person) in the teeth. Obs. or arch.
1579–80. North, Plutarch (1676), 386. In his youth he was fain to hire another mans house,… at a small rent, as afterwards he was twitted in the teeth withall.
1651. Fuller’s Abel Rediv., Bradford (1867), I. 218. They twitted him in the teeth with heresy.
1729. Gay, in Swift’s Lett. (1766), II. 103. You have often twitted me in the teeth for hankering after the court.
1835. Lytton, Rienzi, IV. i. They twit me in the teeth, because I cannot say who my father and mother were.
2. To condemn as a fault, blame, reprove, rebuke (an act, etc.); to cavil at, to disparage. Now rare.
1571. Campion, Hist. Irel., II. viii. (1633), 105. Thus was Perkins bragge twighted.
1580. Stanyhurst, Æneis, etc. (Arb.), 152. Percase carpers wyl twight his iollitye youthful.
1592. Greene, Upst. Courtier, To Rdrs. A iv. Though he speakes againste Veluet breeches … yet hee twits not the weede but the vice.
1673. Hickeringill, Greg. F. Greyb., 214. Endeavouring to foyl and always twitting a good cause.
1675. trans. Camden’s Hist. Eliz., I. 84. Others … twitted the Authority of the Queen’s Majesty too much.
1876. J. Weiss, Wit, Hum. & Shaks., iii. 87. The clown … remembers how the steward used to twit Olivia’s contentment at his sallies.
† b. Twit it: to phrase it tauntingly; to utter a taunt or reproach. Obs. rare.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 276. This Archbishop … suffered the King to hold his stirup twise in one day in Normandie, but in Prato proditorium, as Mathew Parise very pretily twiteth it.
1673. Hickeringill, Greg. F. Greyb., 24. To twit it home as wittily and effectually as he can.
3. intr. To tell tales; to blab. Now dial.
a. 1643. [see TWITTING vbl. sb. 2].
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., s.v., ‘If he knows he’ll twit.’
