Also 6 twycche, twytch-, twitche, 6–8 twich. [f. TWITCH v.1]
1. An act of twitching; a sudden sharp pull or tug; a jerk; a pluck; a snatch.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 15. ‘The oxe is neuer wo, tyll he to the harowe goo,’ And it is bycause it goeth by twytches.
1567. Golding, Ovid’s Met., IX. (1593), 211. Three times a twich Gaue Hercules, and could not wrinch my leaning breast him fro.
1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 431. A single twine, which is snapt in sunder with a twitch.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xv. (Roxb.), 27/1. The bowes of the boat … would else be torne out with the twitches which the ship vnder saile would giue it.
1728–46. Thomson, Spring, 412. Then fix, with gentle twitch, the barbed hook.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 154. A twitch at her sleeve!… a bramble had caught at her gown passing by.
1851. D. Jerrold, St. Giles, xvi. 169. He felt a twitch at his pocket, and … saw a child … carrying away a silk handkerchief.
b. transf. and fig. or in fig. context. At a twitch, in a moment, without delay.
1528. Impeachm. Wolsey, 174, in Furnivall, Ball. fr. MSS., I. 357. They wold from þer bodyes þer hedis devyde, or hang them at A twycche.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe (1871), 27. The city of Norwich, as in the Præludium hereof I had a twitch at.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Church Porch, xxxvii. Think not thy fame at ev’ry twitch will break.
1649. Milton, Eikon., xxvii. Wks. 1851, III. 514. His Noose, which when he pleases to draw together with one twitch of his Negative, shall throttle a whole Nation.
c. Twitch-up, a pegged-down snare attached to an elastic sapling or the like, which springs up and strangles the game when sprung.
1885. Hornaday, 2 Yrs in Jungle, xxxvi. 428. A fine, large porcupine … caught by a hind foot in a twitch-up.
2. A sharp pain; a pinch, pang, twinge. Freq. of mental pain.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 440/1. We sustayn … euery man for himself the paynefull twitche of bodely death.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1873), 116. Reward not thy sheepe (when ye take off his cote) with twitchis and patches.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus ii. 11. (1619), 441. The smarting twitches of our consciences.
1688. Wood, Life, 14 Nov. (O.H.S.), III. 282. A twich and paine in the instep.
1717. Prior, Alma, I. 458. Their Heart, descending to their Breeches, Must give their Stomach cruel twitches.
1796. Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, II. 421. [It] had caused his conscience to give him so many twitches, that it never let him rest a moment.
1821. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Imperfect Sympathies. My conscience … beginning to give some twitches.
1867. G. Easton, Autobiog., xiii. 178. Sensations very similar to a twitch of toothache.
3. † a. Forceps, tweezers. Obs. rare–1. (Cf. QUITCH sb.2)
1596. Barrough, Meth. Physick, I. xxxvi. (ed. 3), 59. Take therfore a twich of siluer, & therewith lift up subtilly the vngle from the tunicle.
b. A noose or loop; spec. a noose that may be tightened by twisting the stick to the end of which it is attached, used to compress the lip or muzzle of a horse to restrain him during a painful operation.
(Quot. 1623 is doubtful: cf. TWITCH v.1 3 b.)
1623. Middleton, More Dissemblers, III. i. (1657), 34. Oh those dear Gipseys, they … eat sweet stoln Hens, pluckt over Pales or Hedges by a twitch.
1831. [Youatt], Horse, xviii. 321. Among the minor methods of restraint … are the twitch and the barnacles.
1894. Astley, 50 Years Life, II. 297. That horribly cruel invention, the twitch, is … twisted tightly round the poor brute’s tender upper lip.
1910. T. Sheppard, in Trans. E. Riding Antiq. Soc., XVI. 41. Two holes have been pierced on each side of the projecting portion of the stern, evidently to receive a lashing or twitch which would pass to and from the sides, thus holding them firmly against the stern-board.
1910. Times, 19 March, 4/2. Twitches were used for holding vicious or nervous horses for veterinary purposes or shoeing, or washing the legs.
4. Mining. A place in, or part of, a vein where it is compressed and narrowed.
1653. Manlove, Lead-Mines, 265 (E.D.S.). Cauke, Sparr, Lid-Stones, Twitches, Daulings, and Pees.
1747. Hooson, Miner’s Dict., s.v. Brassil, Some Veins that are Caukey are very subject to it; but more especially in Twitches, and hard Places.
1789. J. Williams, Min. Kingd., I. 256. I saw coal … in the checks or twitches of those veins between the open bellies, not above one inch in thickness.
1821. W. Forster, Section Strata Newcastle-on-Tyne, etc. (ed. 2), 236. Some … twitches carry a small rib of solid ore quite through.
5. A quick, involuntary, usually slight movement of a muscle, etc., esp. of nervous origin; a convulsive or spasmodic jerk or quiver.
1718. Quincy, Compl. Disp., 173. Any Medicine which so far vellicates the … Stomach and Bowels, as to draw them into convulsive Twitches.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), II. 44. It is owing to these alterations that the mother so frequently feels those twitches, which are usually attended with pain.
1804. Med. Jrnl., XII. 112. Considerable pain in the head usually accompanied the convulsive twitches in the face.
1825. Scott, Talism., xvii. Mark me the smallest twitch of the features, or wink of the eyelid.
1836. Random Recoll. Ho. Lords, xiv. 315. A hasty scratch at the back of his head, accompanied with two or three twitches of his nose.
1897. Mrs. E. L. Voynich, Gadfly (1904), 47/1. That side of his face was affected with a nervous twitch.
6. A small lock of wool or flax twisted round the forefinger of the left hand in spinning.
a. 1801. Bloomfield, Rural T., Rich. & Kate, viii. She … laid aside her Lucks and Twitches.
