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twist
[twist]
verb (used with object)
to combine, as two or more strands or threads, by winding together; intertwine.
to form by or as if by winding strands together.
Several fibers were used to twist the rope.
to entwine (one thing) with another; interlace (something) with something else; interweave; plait.
to wind or coil (something) about something else; encircle; entwine; wreathe.
to alter in shape, as by turning the ends in opposite directions, so that parts previously in the same straight line and plane are located in a spiral curve.
The sculptor twisted the form into an arabesque. He twisted his body around to look behind him.
to turn sharply or wrench out of place; sprain.
He twisted his ankle.
to pull, tear, or break off by turning forcibly.
He twisted the arm off the puppet.
Synonyms: , ,to distort (the features) by tensing or contracting the facial muscles; contort.
She twisted her face in a wry smile.
to distort the meaning or form of; pervert.
He twisted my comment about to suit his own purpose.
to cause to become mentally or emotionally distorted; warp.
The loss of his business twisted his whole outlook on life.
to form into a coil, knot, or the like by winding, rolling, etc..
to twist the hair into a knot.
to bend tortuously.
to cause to move with a rotary motion, as a ball pitched in a curve.
to turn (something) from one direction to another, as by rotating or revolving.
I twisted my chair to face the window.
to combine or associate intimately.
verb (used without object)
to be or become intertwined.
to wind or twine about something.
to writhe or squirm.
to take a spiral form or course; wind, curve, or bend.
to turn or rotate, as on an axis; revolve, as about something; spin.
to turn so as to face in another direction.
to turn, coil, or bend into a spiral shape.
to change shape under forcible turning or twisting.
to move with a progressive rotary motion, as a ball pitched in a curve.
to dance the twist.
noun
the action of turning or rotating on an axis; rotary motion; spin.
anything formed by or as if by twisting or twining parts together.
the act or process of twining strands together, as in thread, yarn, or rope.
a twisting awry or askew.
distortion or perversion, as of meaning or form.
a peculiar attitude or bias; eccentric turn or bent of mind; eccentricity.
spiral disposition, arrangement, or form.
spiral movement or course.
a sudden, unanticipated change of course, as of events.
a treatment, method, idea, version, etc., especially one differing from that which preceded.
The screenwriters gave the old plot a new twist.
the changing of the shape of anything by or as by turning the ends in opposite directions.
the stress causing this alteration; torque.
the resulting state.
a twisting or torsional action, force, or stress; torsion.
a strong, twisted silk thread, heavier than ordinary sewing silk, for working buttonholes and for other purposes.
the direction of twisting in weaving yarn; S twist or Z twist.
a loaf or roll of dough twisted and baked.
a strip of citrus peel that has been twisted and placed in a drink to add flavor.
a kind of tobacco manufactured in the form of a rope or thick cord.
a dance performed by couples and characterized by strongly rhythmic turns and twists of the arms, legs, and torso.
the degree of spiral formed by the grooves in a rifled firearm or cannon.
Gymnastics, Diving.a full rotation of the body about the vertical axis.
a wrench.
twist
/ ٷɪ /
verb
to cause (one end or part) to turn or (of one end or part) to turn in the opposite direction from another; coil or spin
to distort or be distorted; change in shape
to wind or cause to wind; twine, coil, or intertwine
to twist flowers into a wreath
to force or be forced out of the natural form or position
to twist one's ankle
(usually passive) to change or cause to change for the worse in character, meaning, etc; pervert
his ideas are twisted
she twisted the statement
to revolve or cause to revolve; rotate
(tr) to wrench with a turning action
to twist something from someone's grasp
(intr) to follow a winding course
(intr) to squirm, as with pain
(intr) to dance the twist
informal(tr) to cheat; swindle
to persuade or coerce someone
noun
the act or an instance of twisting
something formed by or as if by twisting
a twist of hair
a decisive change of direction, aim, meaning, or character
(in a novel, play, etc) an unexpected event, revelation, or other development
a bend
a twist in the road
a distortion of the original or natural shape or form
a jerky pull, wrench, or turn
a strange personal characteristic, esp a bad one
a confused mess, tangle, or knot made by twisting
a twisted thread used in sewing where extra strength is needed
(in weaving) a specified direction of twisting the yarn
a modern dance popular in the 1960s, in which couples vigorously twist the hips in time to rhythmic music
a bread loaf or roll made of one or more pieces of twisted dough
a thin sliver of peel from a lemon, lime, etc, twisted and added to a drink
a cigar made by twisting three cigars around one another
chewing tobacco made in the form of a roll by twisting the leaves together
physics torsional deformation or shear stress or strain
sport spin given to a ball in various games, esp baseball
the extent to which the grooves in the bore of a rifled firearm are spiralled
slangmad; eccentric
Other Word Forms
- twistable adjective
- twistability noun
- twistingly adverb
- overtwist verb
- retwist verb
- untwistable adjective
- ˈٷɾٲ adjective
- ˈٷɾٲ adjective
- ˈٷɾٱ adjective
- ˌٷɾٲˈٲ noun
- ˈٷɾپԲ adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of twist1
Idioms and Phrases
twist one's arm, to coerce.
I didn't want to go, but he twisted my arm.
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Two of them wrestled on the grass, and a few climbed onto a twisted tree trunk to pose for a group photo that would be sent to the owners.
He tells them they are twisting his arm.
That is unless Australia's bowlers can summon something quite remarkable with the ball on Saturday and provide an unexpected twist.
In another twist, to the Wall Street Journal he said the US received more than just a heads-up from Israel: "We know what's going on."
Upon the ship's return to Scotland in September, a gearbox and propeller fault were detected, and further investigation at Dale's Marine in Greenock revealed the rear of the ship was twisted.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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