warp

noun \ ˈwȯrp \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of warp

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 agriculture
—Amer. Guide Series: N.C.

2 : a rope for warping or mooring a ship or boat

[²warp]

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

play \ˈwȯr-pij\ noun

See warp defined for English-language learners

See warp defined for kids

Examples of warp in a Sentence

There's a warp in the floorboards.
an unshakable belief in the essential goodness of humankind is the warp of his philosophy

Recent Examples of warp from the Web

This warp-speed positivity is Van Ness's superpower.

— martin mulkeen, GQ, "You Could Use a Style Upgrade," 3 Apr. 2018
Next, assistants soak the warp threads of the textile-to-be in a series of dye vats—up to eight in total—accumulating hues along the way.

— ryan p. smith, Smithsonian, "How the Technicolor Ikat Designs of Central Asia Thread Into Textile History," 26 Mar. 2018
Stoppelman explained that individual warp threads, which make up the longitudinal pattern in woven cloth, are put on a roller and then threaded individually through wire heddles, which are attached to a shaft and then to a foot treadle.

— annie gentile, Courant Community, "Rag Rug Project Upcycles Old Cloth," 22 Mar. 2018
Old wood objects warp and rot and often do not survive long in uncontrolled environments.

— charles desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, "African spirits suspended in resin, culture at SF art gallery," 16 Mar. 2018
When it was introduced, the CD was marketed as a durable, sturdy replacement for what the music business characterized as warp-prone long-playing albums and unstable cassettes.

— randall roberts, latimes.com, "The compact disc era may finally be entering its hospice stage," 2 Mar. 2018
Leondakis took the reins at Equinox at a time of warp-speed growth for the fitness industry.

— valentina zarya, Fortune, "How Top Fitness Chains Are Using Tech to Keep You Coming Back," 17 Feb. 2018
Eventually Burnham and Lorca hatch a plan and need to learn how the USS Defiant (an ENT reference) was able to escape the Mirror Universe without a warp drive.

— darren orf, Popular Mechanics, "On Star Trek: Discovery, Things Get Evil," 8 Jan. 2018
On Thursday, Deadline reported that the project was moving at warp-speed, with Tarantino spending hours in a writers room with screenwriters like Mark L. Smith, who wrote The Revenant, and Drew Pearce, who wrote Iron Man 3.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek Movie Is Rapidly Improving," 8 Dec. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of warp

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

warp Synonyms

Synonyms

base, basis, bedrock, bottom, cornerstone, footing, foundation, ground, groundwork, keystone, root, underpinning, warp and woof;

assumption, justification, premise (also premiss), presumption, presupposition, rationale, supposition, theory, thesis, warrant;

backbone, center, core, cornerstone, eye, focus, heart, hub, kernel, keystone, nucleus, seat;

essence, quintessence, soul, touchstone;

Other Textiles Terms

batt, bias, brocade, duck, flock, lawn, toile

warp

verb

Definition of warp

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 prejudices
—Irving 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

See warp defined for English-language learners

Examples of warp in a Sentence

The wood was warped by moisture.
The heat caused the wood to warp.
He held prejudices that warped his judgment.

Recent Examples of warp from the Web

Many of the state's glaciers are retreating; thawing permafrost is warping roads and tilting homes in Western Alaska.

— nathaniel herz, Alaska Dispatch News, "Gov. Walker creates climate change committee, but leaves decisions for later," 31 Oct. 2017
This suggests that the graphite was already there when the rocks were heated and warped, and didn’t sneak in later.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Earth Had Life From Its Infancy," 27 Sep. 2017
The Post story shows how blinders warped behavior on all sides.

— william saletan, Slate Magazine, "His cautious response to Russian interference protected our democracy.," 23 June 2017
The explosion on the port side warped the bulkhead, preventing the crew from closing a watertight door, crippled both engines and disabled radio communication, preventing a distress call.

— sam roberts, New York Times, "99 Years Later, Navy Probing Warship Disaster Off Long Island," 10 Sep. 2017
In some areas around the city, warped power lines teetered toward the ground, toppled trees and palm leaves were strewn across streets and some street signals dangled lifelessly with no power.

— russell gold, WSJ, "Hurricane Harvey Slams Texas With Devastating Force," 27 Aug. 2017
Now, the government is warping the truth to justify singling them out in a grotesque and dehumanizing registry.

— NBC News, "Tajikistan Registers 367 Suspected Gays, Lesbians in Database," 23 Oct. 2017
Nearly 600,000 Iraqi children have missed an entire year of education or more, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre; thousands have been warped by ISIS indoctrination.

— tim lister, CNN, "Bigger battles are rising from the ashes of the war on ISIS," 21 Oct. 2017
Companies such as Facebook and Google were able to warp their own social media protocols and Internet searches to insidiously favor progressive agendas and messaging.

— author: victor davis hanson, Alaska Dispatch News, "How Silicon Valley lost its cool and alienated both left and right," 4 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of warp

14th century

warp Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

WARP Defined for English Language Learners

warp

noun

Definition of warp for English Language Learners

: a twist or curve in something that is usually flat or straight
: the threads that run up and down on a loom or in a woven fabric

warp

verb

Definition of warp for English Language Learners

: to twist or bend (something) into a different shape
: to cause (a person's opinions, thoughts, etc.) to be changed in a way that is wrong or unnatural