'twere

A form of it — The third-person singular neuter personal pronoun used to refer to an inanimate object, abstract entity, or non-human living thing.

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Meanings

contraction
  1. abbreviationarchaiccontractionliteraryContraction of it + were.

    You drink wine as 'twere water!

    3 more examples

    I had been glad if 'twere us but not them.

    To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself.

    c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]

    Then he came down rejoicing and said, "I have seen what seemeth to be a city as 'twere a pigeon."

    1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 17”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC
Cite this entry
APA

'twere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'twere

MLA

“'twere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'twere. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “'twere,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'twere.

Source: 'twere on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.