Etymologically
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tweet

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:19. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈtwiːt/[1]

Etymology

It is imitative of the chirp of a small bird.[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

An imitation of a small bird's note: 1845.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The verb, to chirp, is by 1851.[2][6][7] Hoad dates noun and verb to the 19th century.[3] As a word for a short message posted on the Twitter service, and the verb to post one, it is from 2007.[2]

Timeline

  • 1845 – a bird's chirp.[2][6]
  • 1851 – to chirp (verb).[2][6]
  • 2007 – a post on Twitter.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The chirp of a small bird.
  2. A short message posted on the social media service Twitter.

Verb

  1. To make a chirping sound.
  2. To post a message on Twitter.

Word family

  • tweeter

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster