Twine

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /twaɪn/

Definitions

1. A slender string made from twisted strands serves to bind items together or is used artistically to encircle objects in a helical manner
2. A type of string created by interlacing fibers is commonly used for binding purposes or can be manipulated to wrap around objects in a spiral fashion
3. A durable thread formed by twisting multiple fibers together for tying or crafting ; to intertwine two or more strands by twisting them around each other

Etymology: The most striking thing about "twine" is that its name points to two. Its ancestor in Old English, "twīn", meant a double thread or a twisted strand, and it traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "double," the same root that gave us "two." The idea behind the word is that a twine is made by twisting two or more strands together, so the sense of "twoness" is built into the object itself. The noun passed through Middle English as "twyn" and "twine," and it kept its association with thread and linen-thread for centuries. The verb came from a related Old English form meaning "to thread" or "to twine," which developed from the same Germanic base. Its cousins survive across the North Sea and Scandinavia: Dutch "twijnen," Swedish "tvinna," and Danish "tvinde" all carry the sense of twisting or throwing threads together.

Synonyms: string, cord, thread

Antonyms: untwist