ENGLISH
REFERENCE

twat

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈtwɑt// UK //twˈæt// twat Slang Vulgar

n. a very rude word for a person you think is stupid or annoying. It is also a vulgar word for a woman's genitals.

n. a highly offensive term for a person perceived as contemptible or foolish; also used as a vulgar anatomical reference to the vulva. Common in British English as a pejorative.


SIMPLE

He was acting like a total twat at the party.

CONTEXTUAL

I felt like a complete twat when I realized I had been wearing my shirt inside out all day.

COMPLEX

The comedian's set was cut short after he directed a series of vulgarities, including calling a heckler a twat, toward the front row of the audience.

Synonyms
Origin

Unknown origin. Possibly cognate with Old Norse þveit (“cut, slit, forest clearing”), and if so a doublet of thwaite. May however simply be onomatopoeic or sound-symbolic.

Usage

Primarily British English; extremely offensive in most social contexts.

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