tweed (twed)

and a. [Said to be an accidental perversion of tweel for twill1: see the quotation.] I. n. A twilled fabric, principally for men's wear, having an unfinished surface, and two colors generally combined in the same yarn. The best quality is made wholly of wool, but in inferior kinds cotton, etc., are introduced. The manufacture is largely carried on in the south of Scotland. The word is sometimes used in the plural. It was the word "tweels" having been blotted or imperfectly written on an invoice which gave rise to the now familiar name of these goods. The word was read as tweeds by the late James Locke of London, and it was so appropriate, from the goods being made on the banks of the Tweed, that it was at once adopted, and has been continued ever since. Border Advertiser. (Imp. Dict.) He was manly, vigorous, and distinguished; nor did he wear at entertainments a shabby suit of mustard-colored tweeds. The Century , XL. 578. II. a . Pertaining to or made of tweed. Round hats and tweed suits are no sign of independence of thought. Fortnightly Rev. , N. S., XL. 3. pp. tweedled , ppr. tweedle (twe'dl), v.; pret. and pp. twe tweedling. [Prob. a var. of twiddle, in sense 3 perhaps by confusion with wheedle.] I. trans. 1. To handle lightly and idly; twiddle; fiddle with.-2. To play on a fiddle or bagpipe. Bai ley, 1731.-31. To wheedle; coax. A fiddler... brought in with him a body of lusty young fellows, whom he had tweedled into the service. Add is on, Freeholder, No. 3. II. in trans . To wriggle; twist one's self about. Dick heard, and tweedling , ogling, bridling, Turning short round, strutting and sideling, Attested, glad, his approbation. Cowper , Pairing Time Anticipated. [ tweedle , n.] A sound tweedle (twē'dl), n . such as is made by a fiddle. [The words tweed ledum and tweedledee are humorous expansions of tweedle , used together to indicate distinc- tions that are almost imperceptible. Strange all this difference should be "Twixt tweed ledum and tweedledee. Byrom, Feuds between Handel and Buononcini.] Tweed Ring. See ring1 . Tweed's case. See casel .