v.
- form into a bent, curled, or distorted shape.
▸turn or bend round or into a different direction.
▸force or be forced out of the natural position by twisting:
he twisted his ankle playing tennis.
- rotate around something that remains stationary; turn.
▸move around each other; interlace.
▸take or have a winding course.
- distort or misrepresent the meaning of.
▸
[as adj. twisted]
(of a personality or behaviour) unpleasantly or unhealthily abnormal.
- dance the twist.
- Brit. informal cheat; defraud.
- (in pontoon) request, deal, or be dealt a card face upwards.
n.
- an act or instance of twisting.
▸
(the twist)
a dance with a twisting movement of the body, popular in the 1960s.
- a thing with a spiral shape.
▸Brit. a paper packet with twisted ends.
▸a small quantity of tobacco, sugar, etc., wrapped in such a packet.
- force producing twisting; torque.
▸forward motion combined with rotation about an axis.
▸the rifling in the bore of a gun.
- an unexpected, typically unwelcome, development of events.
▸a new treatment or outlook:
she takes conventional subjects and gives them a twist.
- a fine strong thread consisting of twisted fibres.
- Brit. a drink consisting of two ingredients mixed together.
- Brit. informal a swindle.
- a carpet with a tightly curled pile.
Phrase
- round the twist
Brit. informal crazy. - twist someone's arm
informal forcefully persuade someone to do something that they are reluctant to do. - twist in the wind
be left in a state of suspense or uncertainty.
Derivative
- twisty adj.
(twistier, twistiest)
.
Etymology
OE, of Gmc origin; prob. from the base of twin and twine.