■ verb
1》 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 ~ing: he ~ed his ankle playing tennis.
2》 rotate around something that remains stationary; turn.
↘move around each other; interlace.
↘take or have a winding course.
3》 distort or misrepresent the meaning of.
↘[as adjective ~ed ] (of a personality or behaviour) unpleasantly or unhealthily abnormal.
4》 dance the ~.
5》 Brit. informal cheat; defraud.
6》 (in pontoon) request, deal, or be dealt a card face upwards.
■ noun
1》 an act or instance of ~ing.
↘( the ~ ) a dance with a ~ing movement of the body, popular in the 1960s.
2》 a thing with a spiral shape.
↘ Brit. a paper packet with ~ed ends.
↘a small quantity of tobacco, sugar, etc., wrapped in such a packet.
3》 force producing ~ing; torque.
↘forward motion combined with rotation about an axis.
↘the rifling in the bore of a gun.
4》 an unexpected, typically unwelcome, development of events.
↘a new treatment or outlook: she takes conventional subjects and gives them a ~.
5》 a fine strong thread consisting of ~ed fibres.
6》 Brit. a drink consisting of two ingredients mixed together.
7》 Brit. informal a swindle.
8》 a carpet with a tightly curled pile.
Phrases
round the ~ Brit. informal crazy.
~ someone's arm informal forcefully persuade someone to do something that they are reluctant to do.
~ in the wind be left in a state of suspense or uncertainty.
Derivatives
~y adjective ( ~ier , ~iest ).
Origin
OE, of Gmc origin; prob. from the base of twin and twine .