twistle

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtwɪsəl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Alteration of twissel (literally “double, forked”), from Middle English twisel, twisil, from Old English twisla (“confluence, junction, fork of a river or road”), from Proto-Germanic *twisilą (“fork, bifurcation”), from Proto-Indo-European *dwis- (“twice, in two”). Cognate with German Zwiesel (“fork”). Compare also Icelandic kvísl (“branch, a fork; fork of a river”).

Noun

twistle (plural twistles)

1. (obsolete) A boundary stream.

Usage notes

• Used primarily in British place names, such as Oswaldtwistle.

Etymology 2

Related to twist.

Verb

twistle (third-person singular simple present twistles, present participle twistling, simple past and past participle twistled)

1. (Scotland, transitive) To twist.

Noun

twistle (plural twistles)

1. (Scotland) A wrench.