Tweak
/twiːk/noun
To make a slight adjustment or to pinch and pull sharply.
Did you know?The word’s older sense is physical and abrupt: to tweak something was to give it a quick twist or nip, which is why it still feels like a tiny but forceful intervention today.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*twīk-
“to pinch, nip, or twist sharply”
Old English
OE
twīcan
“to pinch, pluck, or tweak”
Middle English
ME
tweken
“to pinch or pull sharply”
16th Century
English
tweak
“to pinch, nip, or twist”
19th Century
English
tweak
“to make a small adjustment”
Modern English
English
tweak
“to make a slight adjustment or to pinch and pull sharply”