twist

¹twist

verb \ˈtwist\

Definition of TWIST

transitive verb

1

a : to unite by winding <twisting strands together>

b : to make by twisting strands together <twist thread from yarn>

c : to mingle by interlacing

2

: twine, coil

3

a : to wring or wrench so as to dislocate or distort; especially : sprain <twisted my ankle>

b : to alter the meaning of : distort, pervert <twisted the facts>

c : contort <twisted his face into a grin>

d : to pull off, turn, or break by torsion <twist the nut off the bolt>

e : to cause to move with a turning motion <twisted her chair to face the fire>

f : to form into a spiral shape

g : to cause to take on moral, mental, or emotional deformity <celebrity has twisted their sense of decorum>

h : to make (one's way) in a winding or devious manner to a destination or objective

intransitive verb

1

: to follow a winding course : snake

2

a : to turn or change shape under torsion

b : to assume a spiral shape

c : squirm, writhe

d : to dance the twist

3

of a ball : to rotate while taking a curving path or direction

4

: turn 3a <twisted around to see behind him>

— twist in the wind

: to be left to face a difficult situation without support or help

— twist one's arm

: to bring strong pressure to bear on one

Examples of TWIST

1. The toy can be twisted into different shapes.
2. She twisted balloons into the shapes of different animals.
3. The antenna was twisted out of shape.
4. The car was a heap of twisted metal after the accident.
5. He twists his lip into an odd expression when he's thinking.
6. twist the dials on the radio
7. The bottle cap twists off.

Origin of TWIST

Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch twisten, from twist twine, discord, quarrel; akin to Old English -twist (in candeltwist candlesnuffers, mæsttwist twin support for a mast), Middle English twisten to be forked, Middle High German zwist quarrel, Old English twi- twi-

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to TWIST

Synonyms

bend, color, cook, distort, falsify, fudge, misinterpret, misrelate, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, slant, garble, warp

Related Words

misdescribe, misspeak, mistranslate; belie, camouflage, disguise, dissemble, gloss (over), mask, veil, whitewash; bowdlerize, censor; complicate, confound, confuse, mistake, mix (up); mystify, obscure; equivocate, fib, lie, palter, prevaricate

Near Antonyms

clarify, clear (up), explain, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, spell out; decipher

²twist

noun

Definition of TWIST

1

: something formed by twisting or winding: as

a : a thread, yarn, or cord formed by twisting two or more strands together

b : a strong tightly twisted sewing silk

c : a baked piece of twisted dough

d : tobacco leaves twisted into a thick roll

e : a strip of citrus peel used to flavor a drink

2

a : an act of twisting : the state of being twisted

b : a dance performed with strenuous gyrations especially of the hips

c : the spin given the ball in any of various games

d : a spiral turn or curve

e (1) : torque or torsional stress applied to a body (as a rod or shaft) (2) : torsional strain (3) : the angle through which a thing is twisted

3

a : a turning off a straight course

b : eccentricity, idiosyncrasy

c : a distortion of meaning or sense

4

a : an unexpected turn or development <weird twists of fate — W. L. Shirer>

b : a clever device : trick <questions demanding special twists of thinking — New Yorker>

c : a variant approach or method : gimmick <a kind of twist on the old triangle theme — Dave Fedo>

5

: a front or back dive in which the diver twists sideways a half or full turn before entering the water

— twisty \ˈtwis-tē\ adjective

Examples of TWIST

1. a simple twist of the wrist
2. The jar should open with a twist of the lid.
3. The road has some nasty twists.
4. The coastal road had many twists and turns.
5. It was a film noir with some clever twists.
6. In an unusual twist, the police arrested one of their own.
7. They were brought together by a strange twist of fate.

First Known Use of TWIST

1555

Related to TWIST

Synonyms

wrench, twisting, wrenching, wresting, wringing

Related Words

draft, draw, extraction, pull, tug, yank; dislocation, displacement

Near Antonyms

conformity, sameness

Other Handicraft Terms

biscuit, darn, tambour, wrought