"twerp" meaning in English

See twerp in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /twɝp/ [General-American], /twɜːp/ [Received-Pronunciation] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-twerp.wav [Southern-England] Forms: twerps [plural]
Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)p Etymology: Of uncertain origin; originally British slang of the 1910s. In a letter, dated 6 October 1944, J. R. R. Tolkien mentions a contemporary of his at Oxford University T.W. Earp, calling him "the original twerp"; but no corroborating evidence for this etymology has come to light. Other suggestions include: a clipping of Antwerp (“type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London”); the onomatopoeic twirp (“imitation of the sound of a bird”); a dialectal variant of dwarf (compare Middle English dwerf); Welsh twp (“a fool”). Etymology templates: {{unc|en|nocap=1}} uncertain, {{m|en|Antwerp||type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London}} Antwerp (“type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London”), {{m|en|twirp||imitation of the sound of a bird}} twirp (“imitation of the sound of a bird”), {{m|cy|twp||a fool}} twp (“a fool”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} twerp (plural twerps)
  1. (UK) A fool, a twit. Tags: UK, colloquial Categories (topical): People Synonyms: twit, git Translations (a fool, a twit): глупак (glupak) [masculine] (Bulgarian), дура́к (durák) [masculine] (Russian), тупи́ца (tupíca) [feminine, masculine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-twerp-en-noun-InZLRv-- Disambiguation of People: 32 39 29 Categories (other): British English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 20 37 43 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 26 35 39 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 26 35 39 Disambiguation of 'a fool, a twit': 89 6 5
  2. (US, childish) A small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible. Tags: US, childish, colloquial Categories (topical): People Synonyms: twerk, worthless person Translations (a small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible): ничто́жество (ničtóžestvo) [neuter] (Russian), krpec [masculine] (Slovak), pendejo [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-twerp-en-noun-FRl08JQa Disambiguation of People: 32 39 29 Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 20 37 43 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 26 35 39 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 26 35 39 Disambiguation of 'a small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible': 1 92 7
  3. (US, childish) A person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased. Sometimes used as a pet-name (often for a younger sibling). Tags: US, childish, colloquial Categories (topical): People Translations (a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased): ettertje (Dutch), простофи́ля (prostofílja) [feminine, masculine] (Russian), krpec [masculine] (Slovak), pendejo [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-twerp-en-noun-hVbHK2Xe Disambiguation of People: 32 39 29 Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 20 37 43 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 26 35 39 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 26 35 39 Disambiguation of 'a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased': 1 18 81
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: twirp Related terms: derp, twerk

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for twerp meaning in English (7.8kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "uncertain",
      "name": "unc"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Antwerp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London"
      },
      "expansion": "Antwerp (“type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "twirp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "imitation of the sound of a bird"
      },
      "expansion": "twirp (“imitation of the sound of a bird”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "twp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "a fool"
      },
      "expansion": "twp (“a fool”)",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Of uncertain origin; originally British slang of the 1910s. In a letter, dated 6 October 1944, J. R. R. Tolkien mentions a contemporary of his at Oxford University T.W. Earp, calling him \"the original twerp\"; but no corroborating evidence for this etymology has come to light. Other suggestions include: a clipping of Antwerp (“type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London”); the onomatopoeic twirp (“imitation of the sound of a bird”); a dialectal variant of dwarf (compare Middle English dwerf); Welsh twp (“a fool”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "twerps",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "twerp (plural twerps)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "derp"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "twerk"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 37 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 35 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 35 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 39 29",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Now you've broken it, you twerp!",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1940, Fred Godfrey (lyrics and music), “Bless 'Em All”performed by George Formby",
          "text": "There's many an airman just finishin' his time. There's many a twerp signing on.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A fool, a twit."
      ],
      "id": "en-twerp-en-noun-InZLRv--",
      "links": [
        [
          "fool",
          "fool"
        ],
        [
          "twit",
          "twit"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(UK) A fool, a twit."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "twit"
        },
        {
          "word": "git"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "89 6 5",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "glupak",
          "sense": "a fool, a twit",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "глупак"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 6 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "durák",
          "sense": "a fool, a twit",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "дура́к"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 6 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "tupíca",
          "sense": "a fool, a twit",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "тупи́ца"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 37 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 35 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 35 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 39 29",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Get out of my way, you little twerp!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible."
      ],
      "id": "en-twerp-en-noun-FRl08JQa",
      "links": [
        [
          "childish",
          "childish"
        ],
        [
          "puny",
          "puny"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, childish) A small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "twerk"
        },
        {
          "word": "worthless person"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "childish",
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ničtóžestvo",
          "sense": "a small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "ничто́жество"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "sense": "a small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "krpec"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "a small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pendejo"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 37 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 35 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 35 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 39 29",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased. Sometimes used as a pet-name (often for a younger sibling)."
      ],
      "id": "en-twerp-en-noun-hVbHK2Xe",
      "links": [
        [
          "childish",
          "childish"
        ],
        [
          "bullied",
          "bully"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, childish) A person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased. Sometimes used as a pet-name (often for a younger sibling)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "childish",
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 18 81",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased",
          "word": "ettertje"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 18 81",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prostofílja",
          "sense": "a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "простофи́ля"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 18 81",
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "sense": "a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "krpec"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 18 81",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pendejo"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/twɝp/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/twɜːp/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)p"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-twerp.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-twerp.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-twerp.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-twerp.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-twerp.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "twirp"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "J. R. R. Tolkien"
  ],
  "word": "twerp"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 1-syllable words",
    "English colloquialisms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with unknown etymologies",
    "Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)p",
    "Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)p/1 syllable",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "uncertain",
      "name": "unc"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Antwerp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London"
      },
      "expansion": "Antwerp (“type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "twirp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "imitation of the sound of a bird"
      },
      "expansion": "twirp (“imitation of the sound of a bird”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "twp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "a fool"
      },
      "expansion": "twp (“a fool”)",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Of uncertain origin; originally British slang of the 1910s. In a letter, dated 6 October 1944, J. R. R. Tolkien mentions a contemporary of his at Oxford University T.W. Earp, calling him \"the original twerp\"; but no corroborating evidence for this etymology has come to light. Other suggestions include: a clipping of Antwerp (“type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London”); the onomatopoeic twirp (“imitation of the sound of a bird”); a dialectal variant of dwarf (compare Middle English dwerf); Welsh twp (“a fool”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "twerps",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "twerp (plural twerps)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "derp"
    },
    {
      "word": "twerk"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Now you've broken it, you twerp!",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1940, Fred Godfrey (lyrics and music), “Bless 'Em All”performed by George Formby",
          "text": "There's many an airman just finishin' his time. There's many a twerp signing on.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A fool, a twit."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fool",
          "fool"
        ],
        [
          "twit",
          "twit"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(UK) A fool, a twit."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "twit"
        },
        {
          "word": "git"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English childish terms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Get out of my way, you little twerp!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "childish",
          "childish"
        ],
        [
          "puny",
          "puny"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, childish) A small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "twerk"
        },
        {
          "word": "worthless person"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "childish",
        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English childish terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased. Sometimes used as a pet-name (often for a younger sibling)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "childish",
          "childish"
        ],
        [
          "bullied",
          "bully"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, childish) A person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased. Sometimes used as a pet-name (often for a younger sibling)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "childish",
        "colloquial"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/twɝp/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/twɜːp/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)p"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-twerp.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-twerp.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-twerp.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-twerp.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-twerp.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "twirp"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "glupak",
      "sense": "a fool, a twit",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "глупак"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "durák",
      "sense": "a fool, a twit",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "дура́к"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "tupíca",
      "sense": "a fool, a twit",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "тупи́ца"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ničtóžestvo",
      "sense": "a small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "ничто́жество"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "a small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "krpec"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "a small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pendejo"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased",
      "word": "ettertje"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prostofílja",
      "sense": "a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "простофи́ля"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "krpec"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pendejo"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "J. R. R. Tolkien"
  ],
  "word": "twerp"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-24 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (82c8ff9 and f4967a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.