twang

C2 Topic:Senses & Perception

US /twæŋ/ UK /twæŋ/ See IPA manual

Freq #47540

Meanings

1

noun
a sharp, vibrating sound like that of a plucked string

The broken wire snapped with a metallic twang.
2

noun
a distinctive nasal or regional quality in a person's speech

His rural twang remained noticeable after years in the city.
3

noun
a sharp, persistent trace in a taste or smell

A pungent twang of chlorine hung in the room after the bottles broke.
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

Synonyms

1 noun · a sharp, vibrating sound... ring reverberation

2 noun · a distinctive nasal or... accentnasal tone

3 noun · a sharp, persistent trace... tang trace hint

4 verb · to make a sharp vibrating... pluck resonate

Word family

Forms twanging

Derived forms twangertwangy

Related forms tang twinge

Common collocations

nasal twang Adjective + noun

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.

Topics

Senses & Perception

External links

# twang

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /twæŋ/
**IPA (UK):** /twæŋ/
**Frequency rank:** 47540

## Meanings
1. a sharp, vibrating sound like that of a plucked string
2. a distinctive nasal or regional quality in a person's speech
3. a sharp, persistent trace in a taste or smell
4. to make a sharp vibrating sound, pluck a string, or speak with a nasal tone

## Examples
- The broken wire snapped with a metallic twang.
- His rural twang remained noticeable after years in the city.
- A pungent twang of chlorine hung in the room after the bottles broke.
- She twanged the lowest guitar string and listened to it vibrate.

## Synonyms
- ring
- accent
- nasal tone
- tang
- trace
- pluck

## Derived Forms
- twanger
- twangy

## Related Forms
- tang
- twinge

## 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.

## Topics
- Senses & Perception

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