MEANING
1. To wind or twist around something, or to twist separate strands together.
2. Strong string or cord made by twisting two or more strands together.
Use it for
describing fingers winding around an object; showing plants curling around a support; conveying an intimate or restrictive entanglement without an abstract labelDescribes winding contact and intertwining rather than simple attachment; the noun supplies a concrete material detail. Writing functions: Movement / Entanglement.
Words that belong together
- twine around a stem
- twine fingers together
- twine strands into a cord
On the page
She twined the loose thread around one finger until the tip turned pale.
The vines had twined through the broken railing and into the room.
The parcel was bound with twine that had cut into the paper.
A ball of twine rolled from the drawer and stopped against his shoe.
Word forms
- Base
- twine
- Past tense
- twined
- Past participle
- twined
- Present participle
- twining
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- twine
- Present continuous
- am/is/are twining
- Present perfect
- have/has twined
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been twining
- Past
- twined
- Past continuous
- was/were twining
- Past perfect
- had twined
- Past perfect continuous
- had been twining
- Future
- will twine
- Future continuous
- will be twining
- Future perfect
- will have twined
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been twining
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Verb and usually uncountable noun. Twines, twined, twined, twining; future will twine. Twine around, through, or together. Twines for kinds of cord is possible but uncommon. Register: neutral. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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