Meanings
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1
noun
a sharp, vibrating sound like that of a plucked string
The broken wire snapped with a metallic twang.
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2
noun
a distinctive nasal or regional quality in a person's speech
His rural twang remained noticeable after years in the city.
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3
noun
a sharp, persistent trace in a taste or smell
A pungent twang of chlorine hung in the room after the bottles broke.
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4
verb
to make a sharp vibrating sound, pluck a string, or speak with a nasal tone
She twanged the lowest guitar string and listened to it vibrate.
Thesaurus
Etymology
The sound noun and verb are imitative, recorded in English from the sixteenth century. The separate taste-and-odor sense is an alteration of tang, which explains uses such as a twang of chlorine rather than a literal ringing sound.