English Reference

Word

tweet

US/ˈtwit/

UK/twˈiːt/

Definitions

01bird sound

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. the short, high-pitched sound made by a small bird.

n. the characteristic high-frequency vocalisation of a small bird.

“I woke up to the soft tweet of a bird outside my window.”

“The silence of the forest was broken only by the occasional tweet of a hidden sparrow among the branches.”

Synonyms

chirpchirruptwitter

02social media post

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Computing

n. a short message or update posted on the social media platform Twitter (now called X).

n. a short digital communication posted on the microblogging service Twitter; now often used generically for similar short-form social media updates.

“The president's latest tweet caused a lot of discussion online.”

“The journalist's tweet went viral within minutes, garnering thousands of retweets and sparking a heated debate about public policy.”

Synonyms

postupdate

03to make a bird sound

B1 · Intermediate

v. to make a short, high-pitched sound like a bird.

v. to emit a short, high-pitched sound; typically used of birds or small mechanical whistles.

“The little birds were tweeting in the trees all morning.”

“As the sun began to rise, dozens of birds started tweeting in a chaotic but pleasant dawn chorus.”

Synonyms

chirppeep

Etymology

Onomatopoeic of the sound made by a bird. Compare twitter. The social media senses evolved from earlier Twitter update, twit (noun), twitter (verb).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

tweet(A2)

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
Frequency
Common
Level
A2 · Elementary
Updated

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