tweak
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Verb (4)tweaks, tweaked, tweaking
- pinch or squeeze sharplyMore general pinch, squeeze
- pull or pull out sharply“pluck the flowers off the bush”Synonyms: pluckpull offpick offMore general pull, drawMore specific tweezeSimilar draw off, draw away
- adjust finely“fine-tune the engine”Synonyms: fine-tuneMore general tune, tune up
- to be under the influence of methamphetamineMore general trip, trip outSimilar souse, soak
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: OE. twikken, originally the same word as twicchen; cf. LG. twikken. See Twitch.
To pinch and pull with a sudden jerk and twist; to twitch; as, to tweak the nose. William Shakespeare
1. A sharp pinch or jerk; a twist or twitch; as, a tweak of the nose. Jonathan Swift
2. Trouble; distress; tweag. obsolete
3. A prostitute. obsolete Richard Brathwait
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
1.To change slightly, usually in reference to a value. Also used synonymously with twiddle. If a program is almost correct, rather than figure out the precise problem you might just keep tweaking it until it works. See frobnicate and fudge factor; also see shotgun debugging.
2.To tune or bum a program; preferred usage in the UK. [Jargon File]
The Jargon File
1.To change slightly, usually in reference to a value. Also used synonymously with twiddle. If a program is almost correct, rather than figure out the precise problem you might just keep tweaking it until it works. See frobnicate and fudge factor; also see shotgun debugging.
2.To tune a program; preferred usage in the U.K.