twitch

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++twitch1 /twɪtʃ/ verb  1  [intransitive, transitive]SHAKE if a part of someone’s body twitches, or if they twitch it, it makes a small sudden movement （使）〔身体的某个部分〕颤动，抽动，抽搐 His mouth twitched slightly, and then he smiled. 嘴轻轻动了一下后，他笑了。 He twitched his eyebrows. 他皱了皱眉。► see thesaurus at move2  [transitive]PULL to move something quickly and suddenly 猛拉，急扯 Sarah twitched the reins, and we moved off. 萨拉猛地一拉缰绳，我们出发了。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

twitch• A muscle on Yang's face twitched.• Limp and relaxed, my jaw was beginning to twitch.• The muscles of Artai's head and shoulders seemed to twitch.• The spiders reach the joining at the trunk and settle there, twitching.• Mac was very nervous. A muscle on his face began to twitch.• My right eyelid wouldn't stop twitching.• He was quiet, and his eyes were twitching.• Roberta's mouth twitched as she tried to stop herself laughing out loud.• Hazel stared, twitching his nose.• Greg's always twitching - it makes me nervous.• Her buttocks were twitching rhythmically to the music.• Amanda's legs were so thin ... A muscle in her neck twitched, twitched again.mouth twitched• She came back in, looked at Kath and her mouth twitched.• Suddenly the corner of his mouth twitched.• But her mouth twitched in reply to his cheeky grin, and she sighed, visibly letting go some of her tension.• From the way her mouth twitched, it was plain she was on the verge of breaking down.• Melissa's arched eyebrows rose into her hairline and her mouth twitched suggestively.• The corner of Morris's mouth twitched up into his cheek and fell back.

Related topics: Illness & disability

twitch2 noun [countable]  1  MIHBHa quick movement of a muscle, especially one that you cannot control 〔肌肉的〕抽搐，颤动 a nervous twitch 神经性抽搐2  MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONa sudden quick movement 猛的一拉，一动 There was no movement in the house, not even a twitch of the curtains. 房子里没有一丝动静，连窗帘都没有掀动一下。

Examples from the Corpus

twitch• There was a twitch in my left cheek which I couldn't control.• A twitch of anxiety crossed my father's face.• The muscles involved in such tremors and twitches are skeletal, as opposed to cardiac or smooth muscle.• The ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch fibres varies between individuals and is determined by heredity.• Even before its last twitch they sprang forward, securing the room.• It's just a nervous twitch.• I laid it on soil; the shoulders managed a few slow twitches, pulled it an inch forward.• Some experiments on skeletal-muscle strips have demonstrated that caffeine increases contractions, which might seem to explain some of the twitch phenomena.Origin twitch1 (1100-1200) Perhaps from Low German

twitch1 verbtwitch2 nounChinese  

someone’s body a or Corpus if they if part of twitches,

twitch

I

twitch¹ /twɪtʃ/ verb1. [intransitive and transitive] if a part of someone’s body twitches, or if they twitch it, it makes a small sudden movement:
    His mouth twitched slightly, and then he smiled.
    He twitched his eyebrows.
2. [transitive] to move something quickly and suddenly:
    Sarah twitched the reins, and we moved off.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ move to go to a different place, or change the position of your body: Sarah moved away from the window. | Every time I move I get a pain in my left shoulder.
   ▪ sway to move slowly from one side to the other: The branches swayed in the wind. | Donny swayed drunkenly as he walked back to his car.
   ▪ rock to move repeatedly from one side to another, with small gentle movements: He rocked backward and forward in his chair. | The boat rocked from side to side with the waves.
   ▪ wobble to move unsteadily from side to side: The bike wobbled a bit, but she soon got it under control.
   ▪ fidget to keep moving or playing with your fingers, hands, feet etc, because you are bored or nervous: Diana fidgeted nervously with her pencil.
   ▪ squirm to make very small movements from side to side with your body, especially because you feel uncomfortable: By the end of the hour, most of the children were squirming in their seats.
   ▪ wriggle to make small movements from side to side, especially in order to get into or out of something: The dog wriggled under the fence and escaped into the street. | She managed to wriggle into the dress, but it was much too tight.
   ▪ twitch if part of your body twitches, it makes small movements that you cannot control: A muscle on Yang’s face twitched.
   ▪ stir written to make a movement – used especially when describing a situation in which no one moves, or someone wakes up: In the village a dog barked but no one stirred | The sleeping child stirred and opened her eyes.
   ▪ budge to move – used when you are trying hard to make something move, often without success: The piano wouldn’t budge.

II

twitch² noun [countable]
1. a quick movement of a muscle, especially one that you cannot control:
    a nervous twitch
2. a sudden quick movement:
    There was no movement in the house, not even a twitch of the curtains.