twi

n. [ AS. twibill; twi- (in comp.) two + bill, bil, an ax, hoe, bill. See Twice, and Bill a cutting instrument. ] 1. A kind of mattock, or ax; esp., a tool like a pickax, but having, instead of the points, flat terminations, one of which is parallel to the handle, the other perpendicular to it. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A tool for making mortises. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A reaping hook. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Armed or provided with a twibil or twibils. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ OE. twies (where the s is the adverbial ending; see -wards), twie, AS. twiges, twiwa; akin to twi- (in comp.) two, G. zwie-, OHG. zwi-, Icel. tvī-, L. bi-, Gr. di-, Skr. dvi-, and E. two. See Two. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Two times; once and again. [ 1913 Webster ]

He twice essayed to cast his son in gold. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Doubly; in twofold quantity or degree; as, twice the sum; he is twice as fortunate as his neighbor. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞Twice is used in the formation of compounds, mostly self-explaining; as, twice-born, twice-conquered, twice-planted, twice-told, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To play with anything; hence, to be busy about trifles. Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Probably of imitative origin. Cf. Tweedle. ] To touch lightly, or play with; to tweedle; to twirl; as, to twiddle one's thumbs; to twiddle a watch key. [ Written also twidle. ] Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A slight twist with the fingers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A pimple. [ Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Twifallowed p. pr. & vb. n. Twifallowing. ] [ AS. twi- (see Twice) two + fallow. ] To plow, or fallow, a second time (land that has been once fallowed). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ AS. twifeald. See Twice, and cf. Twofold. ] Twofold; double. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To beat with twigs. [ 1913 Webster ]