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v. twist·ed, twist·ing, twists v.tr. 1. a. To wind together (two or more threads, for example) so as to produce a single strand. b. To form in this manner: twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. 2. To wind or coil (vines or rope, for example) about something. 3. To interlock or interlace: twist flowers in one's hair. 4. To make (one's way) in a tortuous manner: twisted my way through the briar patch. 5. To cause to rotate or turn in another direction: twisted their heads around at the sound of the doorbell. 6. To impart a spiral or coiling shape to, as by turning the ends in opposite directions: twisting wire into a loop. 7. a. To turn or open by turning: twisted off the bottle cap. b. To pull, break, or snap by turning: twist off a dead branch. 8. To wrench or sprain: twist one's wrist. 9. To alter the normal aspect of; contort: twist one's mouth into a wry smile. 10. To alter or distort the intended meaning of: The cross-examiner twisted the words of the witness. See Synonyms at distort. 11. To alter or distort the mental, moral, or emotional character of: The trauma twisted the child's outlook. v.intr. 1. To be or become twisted. 2. To move or progress in a winding course; meander: The river twisted toward the sea. 3. To squirm; writhe: twist with pain. 4. To rotate or turn in another direction: The owl's head twisted around toward me. 5. To dance the twist. n. Phrasal Verb: 1. Something twisted or formed by twisting, especially: a. A length of yarn, cord, or thread, especially a strong silk thread used mainly to bind the edges of buttonholes. b. Tobacco leaves processed into the form of a rope or roll. c. A loaf of bread or other bakery product made from pieces of dough twisted together. d. A sliver of citrus peel twisted over or dropped into a beverage for flavoring. 2. A spin, twirl, or rotation. 3. Sports a. A complete rotation of the body around its vertical axis, as in diving and gymnastics. b. A spinning motion given to a ball when thrown or struck in a specific way. 4. a. The state of being twisted into a spiral; torsional stress or strain. b. The degree or angle of torsional stress. 5. a. A contortion or distortion of the body, especially the face. b. A distortion of meaning: gave my words a misleading twist. 6. A sprain or wrench, as of an ankle. 7. A change in direction; a turn: a sharp twist in the path. 8. An unexpected change in a process or a departure from a pattern, often producing a distortion or perversion: a twist of fate; a story with a quirky twist. 9. A personal inclination or eccentricity; a penchant or flaw: an odd twist to his character. 10. A dance characterized by vigorous gyrations of the hips and arms. twist off Idioms: To remove by twisting. leave to twist/leave twisting in the wind To abandon (someone) to a bad situation, often as a recipient of blame: "If our envoy was so blameless, why had she been left to twist in the wind?" (William Safire). twist (someone's) arm Slang To pressure or coerce: If you twist my arm, I'll stay for a second beer. [Middle English twisten, to squeeze, be divided, from twist, a divided object, fork, rope, from Old English -twist; see dwo- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] twist′a·bili·ty n. twista·ble adj. twisting·ly adv. twisty adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
