twist

[ twist ]

/ twɪst /

verb (used with object)

to combine, as two or more strands or threads, by winding together; intertwine.

to form by or as if by winding strands together: Several fibers were used to twist the rope.

to entwine (one thing) with another; interlace (something) with something else; interweave; plait.

to wind or coil (something) about something else; encircle; entwine; wreathe.

to alter in shape, as by turning the ends in opposite directions, so that parts previously in the same straight line and plane are located in a spiral curve: The sculptor twisted the form into an arabesque. He twisted his body around to look behind him.

to turn sharply or wrench out of place; sprain: He twisted his ankle.

to pull, tear, or break off by turning forcibly: He twisted the arm off the puppet.

to distort (the features) by tensing or contracting the facial muscles; contort: She twisted her face in a wry smile.

to distort the meaning or form of; pervert: He twisted my comment about to suit his own purpose.

to cause to become mentally or emotionally distorted; warp: The loss of his business twisted his whole outlook on life.

to form into a coil, knot, or the like by winding, rolling, etc.: to twist the hair into a knot.

to bend tortuously.

to cause to move with a rotary motion, as a ball pitched in a curve.

to turn (something) from one direction to another, as by rotating or revolving: I twisted my chair to face the window.

to combine or associate intimately.

verb (used without object)

to be or become intertwined.

to wind or twine about something.

to writhe or squirm.

to take a spiral form or course; wind, curve, or bend.

to turn or rotate, as on an axis; revolve, as about something; spin.

to turn so as to face in another direction.

to turn, coil, or bend into a spiral shape.

to change shape under forcible turning or twisting.

to move with a progressive rotary motion, as a ball pitched in a curve.

to dance the twist.

noun

a deviation in direction; curve; bend; turn.

the action of turning or rotating on an axis; rotary motion; spin.

anything formed by or as if by twisting or twining parts together.

the act or process of twining strands together, as in thread, yarn, or rope.

a twisting awry or askew.

distortion or perversion, as of meaning or form.

a peculiar attitude or bias; eccentric turn or bent of mind; eccentricity.

spiral disposition, arrangement, or form.

spiral movement or course.

an irregular bend; crook; kink.

a sudden, unanticipated change of course, as of events.

a treatment, method, idea, version, etc., especially one differing from that which preceded: The screenwriters gave the old plot a new twist.

the changing of the shape of anything by or as by turning the ends in opposite directions.

the stress causing this alteration; torque.

the resulting state.

a twisting or torsional action, force, or stress; torsion.

a strong, twisted silk thread, heavier than ordinary sewing silk, for working buttonholes and for other purposes.

the direction of twisting in weaving yarn; S twist or Z twist.

a loaf or roll of dough twisted and baked.

a strip of citrus peel that has been twisted and placed in a drink to add flavor.

a kind of tobacco manufactured in the form of a rope or thick cord.

a dance performed by couples and characterized by strongly rhythmic turns and twists of the arms, legs, and torso.

the degree of spiral formed by the grooves in a rifled firearm or cannon.

Gymnastics, Diving. a full rotation of the body about the vertical axis.

a wrench.

Idioms for twist

twist one's arm, Informal. to coerce: I didn't want to go, but he twisted my arm.

Origin of twist

1300–50; Middle English twisten to divide, derivative of twist divided object, rope (compare Old English -twist in candel-twist pair of snuffers); cognate with Dutch twisten to quarrel, German Zwist a quarrel. See twi-

SYNONYMS FOR twist

7 wrench, wrest, yank.

32 See turn.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR twist ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM twist

twist·a·ble, adjective twist·a·bil·i·ty, noun twist·ed·ly, adverb twist·ing·ly, adverb

o·ver·twist, verb re·twist, verb un·twist·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby twist

twins, twinset, twirl, twirler, twirp, twist, twist around one's finger, twist drill, twist grip, twist in the wind, twist someone's arm

British Dictionary definitions for twist one's arm

twist

/ (twɪst) /

verb

to cause (one end or part) to turn or (of one end or part) to turn in the opposite direction from another; coil or spin

to distort or be distorted; change in shape

to wind or cause to wind; twine, coil, or intertwine to twist flowers into a wreath

to force or be forced out of the natural form or position to twist one's ankle

(usually passive) to change or cause to change for the worse in character, meaning, etc; pervert his ideas are twisted; she twisted the statement

to revolve or cause to revolve; rotate

(tr) to wrench with a turning action to twist something from someone's grasp

(intr) to follow a winding course

(intr) to squirm, as with pain

(intr) to dance the twist

(tr) British informal to cheat; swindle

twist someone's arm to persuade or coerce someone

noun

the act or an instance of twisting

something formed by or as if by twisting a twist of hair

a decisive change of direction, aim, meaning, or character

(in a novel, play, etc) an unexpected event, revelation, or other development

a bend a twist in the road

a distortion of the original or natural shape or form

a jerky pull, wrench, or turn

a strange personal characteristic, esp a bad one

a confused mess, tangle, or knot made by twisting

a twisted thread used in sewing where extra strength is needed

(in weaving) a specified direction of twisting the yarn

the twist a modern dance popular in the 1960s, in which couples vigorously twist the hips in time to rhythmic music

a bread loaf or roll made of one or more pieces of twisted dough

a thin sliver of peel from a lemon, lime, etc, twisted and added to a drink

a cigar made by twisting three cigars around one another
chewing tobacco made in the form of a roll by twisting the leaves together

physics torsional deformation or shear stress or strain

sport, mainly US and Canadian spin given to a ball in various games, esp baseball

the extent to which the grooves in the bore of a rifled firearm are spiralled

round the twist British slang mad; eccentric

Derived forms of twist

twistable, adjective twistability, noun twisted, adjective twisting, adjective

twisty, adjective

Word Origin for twist

Old English; related to German dialect Zwist a quarrel, Dutch twisten to quarrel

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

twist

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Idioms for twist

Origin of twist

SYNONYMS FOR twist

OTHER WORDS FROM twist

Words nearby twist

British Dictionary definitions for twist one's arm

verb

noun

Derived forms of twist

Word Origin for twist

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

twist

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Idioms for twist

Origin of twist

SYNONYMS FOR twist

OTHER WORDS FROM twist

Words nearby twist

Words related to twist one's arm

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for twist one's arm

verb

noun

Derived forms of twist

Word Origin for twist

British Dictionary definitions for twist one's arm