Obs. or dial. Forms: 1 -twæcca, -twicce, 2 -twæcche, 4–6 -twytche, -twitche, 5–6 angle-twache, 5–7 -towch, -touch. [? f. ANGLE sb.1 + OE. *twæcca, *twicce, app. connected with vb. twiccean, TWITCH, of which the OHG. cognate zwickan, MHG. zwicken (also zwacken) had orig. the sense ‘to pierce or transfix as with a nail,’ f. zwec ‘nail, peg, pin.’ Halliw. gives twachel in east. dial. = dew-worm.] A worm used as bait in fishing; an earth-worm. (Not mentioned by Izaak Walton, but still used in various south. dialects.)
c. 940. Sax. Leechd., II. 44. Genim angeltwæccean ʓehalne, leʓe on þa stowe.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Voc., in Wright, Voc., 24. Lumbricus, ren-wyrm, vel angeltwicce. [MS. c. 1150 ibid., 90/2 Lubricus, ongel-twæcche.]
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. cxv. (1495), 856. Wyth angyltwytches fysshe is taken … Molles hunte Angyltwytches vnder erthe.
1513. Stanbridge, Voc., in Promp. Parv., 12. Angletwache, lumbricus. [ed. 1615 Angle-touch].
1562. Bulleyn, Sorenes, 22 b. Rosed oile, wherin Angletwitches, or yearth Wormes haue been sodden.
1602. Carew, Cornwall, 26 a. His baites are … Tag-wormes, which the Cornish English term Angle-touches.
1864. Capern, Devon Provinc., Angle-Twitch, the common earth-worm.
