twisted; twisting; twists
Definition of twist
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to unite by winding
twisting strands together
b
: to make by twisting strands together
twist thread from yarn
c
: to mingle by interlacing
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
1
: to follow a winding course : snake
2a
: to turn or change shape under torsion
b
: to assume a spiral shape
d
: to dance the twist
3
of a ball
: to rotate while taking a curving path or direction
4
: turn sense 3a
twisted around to see behind him
twist in the wind
twist one's arm
: to be left to face a difficult situation without support or help
: to bring strong pressure to bear on one
twist
nounDefinition of twist (Entry 2 of 2)
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 (such as a rod or shaft)
(2)
: torsional strain
(3)
: the angle through which a thing is twisted
2a
: a turning off a straight course
b
: eccentricity, idiosyncrasy
c
: a distortion of meaning or sense
3a
: 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
4
: something formed by twisting or winding: such as
a
: a strip of citrus peel used to flavor a drink
b
: a baked piece of twisted dough
c
: a thread, yarn, or cord formed by twisting two or more strands together
d
: a strong tightly twisted sewing silk
e
: tobacco leaves twisted into a thick roll
5
: a front or back dive in which the diver twists sideways a half or full turn before entering the water
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for twist
The first known use of twist was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century