Characterized by sudden, jerky, involuntary movements; also means nervous or jumpy.
From the verb 'twitch' (to make sudden jerky movements), plus the adjectival suffix '-y.' 'Twitch' comes from Middle English, possibly from Old English or Germanic roots. The meaning expanded from physical twitching to describe nervous behavior.
Your eye twitches when you're stressed because of magnesium deficiency or caffeine overload—your muscles are literally misfiring from chemical imbalance. So 'twitchy' behavior is actually your body chemistry screaming for help. It's why athletes monitor their electrolytes so carefully.
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