tweak

[tweek]
verb (used with object)
1.
to pinch and pull with a jerk and twist: to tweak someone's ear; to tweak someone's nose.
2.
to pull or pinch the nose of, especially gently: He tweaked the baby on greeting.
3.
to make a minor adjustment to: to tweak a computer program.
noun
4.
an act or instance of tweaking; a sharp, twisting pull or jerk.

Origin:
1595–1605; akin to twitch

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Tweak is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
to run away hurriedly; flee.
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
Collins
World English Dictionary
tweak (twiːk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to twist, jerk, or pinch with a sharp or sudden movement: to tweak someone's nose
2.  slang motor racing to tune (a car or engine) for peak performance
3.  informal to make a minor alteration
 
n
4.  an instance of tweaking
5.  informal a minor alteration
 
[Old English twiccian; related to Old High German zwecchōn; see twitch]
 
'tweaky
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

tweak
probably from O.E. twiccian "to pluck," of obscure origin; perhaps related to twitch. Meaning "to make fine adjustments" is attested from 1966.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

tweak definition

[tʍik]
  1. tv.
    to adjust something slightly. : Tweak the tuner a little and see if you can get that station just a little bit clearer.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

tweak definition


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 Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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Example sentences
Build a wider cup, adjust a few letters-in many cases, a simple design tweak can make a world of difference.
Dig this post, but as others have mentioned the methodology could use a tweak or two.
It's amazing sometimes what one simple design tweak can do for a product.
We see an idea copy it and then often tweak and improve.
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