twister

noun twist·er \ ˈtwi-stər \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Definition of twister

1 : one that twists; especially : a ball with a forward and spinning motion

2 : a tornado, waterspout, or dust devil in which the rotatory ascending movement of a column of air is especially apparent

See twister defined for English-language learners

See twister defined for kids

Recent Examples of twister from the Web

Crawford County Emergency Management Director Brad Thomas said there were at least three entrapments following the twister.

— CBS News, "Massive storm system spawns tornado in Arkansas, blizzard in Plains," 14 Apr. 2018
But Patty Corkran, a Lake Lotawana resident, said many in her neighborhood were surprised by the speed of the twister.

— max londberg, kansascity, "Tornado near Lee's Summit damages property. Injuries, outages reported elsewhere," 26 June 2018
While Massachusetts didn’t see any twisters, weather officials confirmed a funnel cloud blew over Granby, a town in Hampshire County, at 5:52 p.m. Monday, said Joe Dellicarpini, a meteorologist at NWS Boston.

— elise takahama, BostonGlobe.com, "Two tornadoes touched down in N.H. during Monday’s thunderstorms," 20 June 2018
Despite the warning, the National Weather Service in Cheyenne posted several pictures and videos from residents who captured shots of the twister.

— gina martinez, Time, "This Guy Snapped Some Spectacular Pictures of a Tornado in Wyoming (With His Phone!)," 7 June 2018
White bass – fair along windy shorelines and main lake points on twister tails and crankbaits.

— tyler mahoney special to the star, kansascity, "Fishing report: Catfish action picking up in Kansas, Missouri lakes," 11 July 2018
In 1968, two days of tornado outbreaks began in 10 Midwestern and Southern states; twisters were blamed for 72 deaths, including 45 in Arkansas and 18 in Iowa.

— BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 14 May 2018
Not surprisingly, the lack of tornado deaths coincides with a very quiet year for twisters overall.

— doyle rice, USA TODAY, "For only the second time on record, no one killed by tornadoes in US in May or June," 2 July 2018
Kitch-iti-kipi Springs Talk about a tongue-twister!

— brian manzullo, Detroit Free Press, "25 Michigan roads, destinations you're probably saying wrong," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'twister.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of twister

1579

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

TWISTER Defined for Kids

twister

noun twist·er \ ˈtwi-stər \

Definition of twister for Students

1 : tornado

2 : waterspout 2

Learn More about twister

See words that rhyme with twister Spanish Central: Translation of twister Nglish: Translation of twister for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up twister? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

twister

Definition of twister

Recent Examples of twister from the Web

First Known Use of twister

TWISTER Defined for Kids

twister

Definition of twister for Students

Learn More about twister

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

cerulean

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

A Deep Dive on 'Deep Dive'

10 Words for the Elitists in Your Life

The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 8/17/2018

9 Words for Places People Call "Home"

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

The Eponym Quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Citation

A Deep Dive on 'Deep Dive'

10 Words for the Elitists in Your Life

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

Trending: Brennan: Trump's Claims are 'Hogwash'

Ghost Word

twister

Definition of twister

Recent Examples of twister from the Web

First Known Use of twister

TWISTER Defined for Kids

twister

Definition of twister for Students

Learn More about twister

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

A Deep Dive on 'Deep Dive'

10 Words for the Elitists in Your Life

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

Trending: Brennan: Trump's Claims are 'Hogwash'

Ghost Word