- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- a full rotation of the body about the vertical axis.
- a wrench.
- to coerce: I didn't want to go, but he twisted my arm.
- 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 force or be forced out of the natural form or position
- to change or cause to change for the worse in character, meaning, etc; pervert
- to revolve or cause to revolve; rotate
- to wrench with a turning action
- to follow a winding course
- to squirm, as with pain
- to dance the twist
- to cheat; swindle
- to persuade or coerce someone
- the act or an instance of twisting
- something formed by or as if by twisting
- a decisive change of direction, aim, meaning, or character
- (in a novel, play, etc) an unexpected event, revelation, or other development
- a bend
- 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
- 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
- torsional deformation or shear stress or strain
- 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
- mad; eccentric