warp

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a series of yarns extended lengthwise in a loom and crossed by the weft
b
: foundation, base
the warp of the economic structure is agricultureAmer. Guide Series: N.C.
2
: a rope for warping or mooring a ship or boat
3
[warp entry 2]
a
: a twist or curve that has developed in something originally flat or straight
a warp in a door panel
b
: a mental aberration
warpage noun

warp

2 of 2

verb

warped; warping; warps

transitive verb

1
: to arrange (yarns) so as to form a warp
2
a
: to turn or twist out of or as if out of shape
especially : to twist or bend out of a plane
b
: to cause to judge, choose, or act wrongly or abnormally : pervert
c
: distort
intellect and learning … warped by prejudicesIrving Wallace
warps space and time
d
: to deflect from a course
3
: to move (something, such as a ship) by hauling on a line attached to a fixed object

intransitive verb

1
: to become warped
2
: to move a ship by warping
warper noun
Choose the Right Synonym for warp

deform, distort, contort, warp means to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting.

deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result.

the odd camera angle distorts the figure
disease had contorted her body

warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

Examples of warp in a Sentence

Noun There's a warp in the floorboards. an unshakable belief in the essential goodness of humankind is the warp of his philosophy Verb The wood was warped by moisture. The heat caused the wood to warp. He held prejudices that warped his judgment.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Bean is one of the most photographed spots in the city and has a 12-foot arch with an underside that warps and multiplies reflections. Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2024 After that, each person used different yarns to go around this personalized warp in a simple over and under pattern to create a circular design. Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Jan. 2024 The entrance warp pipe dumps you out through Peach's Castle on the other end. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 17 Feb. 2023 As the sun rotates, the seemingly orderly magnetic field warps and strengthens. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2023 What appears, at first, as a potential escape from that environmental hell slowly warps into an inhumane game: This community is reproducing the abject cruelties of the outside world, not correcting them. Mayukh Sen, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023 Having forged a dedicated following, a strongman warps history to galvanize his base into an authoritarian movement. Heather Cox Richardson, The New Republic, 26 Sep. 2023 But this collaboration with Hardison makes the weft and warp of the personal and the cultural into something that could be called intersectional at times. Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023 Estes deftly marries the warp of sharp outlines to the weft of the wobbly mirage. Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023
Verb
Big Tech companies have warped the environment in less obvious ways as well. Kate Lindsay, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2024 Otherwise, the wood can warp or develop moisture rings. Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2024 Tech’s inhuman pace and its limitlessness have warped us. Jessica Dulong, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024 Even so, more modest programs that teach and learn from one another could warp our experience of the world and unsettle our basic understandings of intelligence. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024 By 2015, the wooden floors warped, scalding water gushed from faucets, the ceiling leaked and collapsed, injuring Mr. Tyler-Leonard’s back, and faulty wiring left him with blistering burns, according to court and state records and photographs shared with the Times. Ronda Kaysen, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024 For a bolder footwear choice, the Nike Cortez TXT is available in green and bright yellow with a re-engineered upper that won’t crease, scuff, or warp over time. Ali Faccenda, Travel + Leisure, 24 Jan. 2024 Dreaming of stardom during long days at the cinema, Pearl’s perception of reality begins to warp and her taste for fame becomes homicidal. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2024 Even with the way the pandemic warped our perception of time, that’s a long gap between movies. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'warp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English wearp; akin to Old High German warf warp, Old English weorpan to throw, Old Norse verpa

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of warp was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near warp

Cite this Entry

“Warp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warp. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

warp

1 of 2 noun
1
: a series of yarns going lengthwise in a loom and crossed by the woof
2
: a twist or curve in something once flat or straight
a warp in a door

warp

2 of 2 verb
1
a
: to turn or twist out of shape
b
: to cause to judge, choose, or act wrongly : pervert
2
: to arrange so as to form a warp
warp yarns
warper noun

More from Merriam-Webster on warp

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