TWIST

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch ~en, from ~ twine, discord, quarrel; akin to Old English -~ (in candel~ candlesnuffers, mæst~ twin support for a mast), Middle English ~en to be forked, Middle High German zwist quarrel, Old English twi- twi- Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. to unite by winding , to make by ~ing strands together , to mingle by interlacing, twine , coil , 3. to wring or wrench so as to dislocate or distort, to alter the meaning of ; distort , pervert , contort , to pull off, turn, or break by torsion , to cause to move with a turning motion , to form into a spiral shape, to cause to take on moral, mental, or emotional deformity , to make (one's way) in a winding or devious manner to a destination or objective, intransitive verb to follow a winding course ; snake , 2. to turn or change shape under torsion, to assume a spiral shape, squirm , writhe , to dance the ~, to rotate while taking a curving path or direction, turn 3a , II. noun Date: 1555 something formed by ~ing or winding: as, a thread, yarn, or cord formed by ~ing two or more strands together, a strong tightly ~ed sewing silk, a baked piece of ~ed dough, tobacco leaves ~ed into a thick roll, a strip of citrus peel used to flavor a drink, 2. an act of ~ing ; the state of being ~ed, a dance performed with strenuous gyrations especially of the hips, the spin given the ball in any of various games, a spiral turn or curve, e. torque or torsional stress applied to a body (as a rod or shaft), torsional strain, the angle through which a thing is ~ed, 3. a turning off a straight course, eccentricity , idiosyncrasy , a distortion of meaning or sense, 4. an unexpected turn or development , a clever device ; trick , a variant approach or method ; gimmick , a front or back dive in which the diver ~s sideways a half or full turn before entering the water, ~y adjective