twistle

• IPA^(key): /ˈtwɪsəl/

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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”).

twistle (plural twistles)

1. (obsolete) A boundary stream.

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

Related to twist.

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

1. (Scotland, transitive) To twist.

twistle (plural twistles)

1. (Scotland) A wrench.