Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia. To form in this manner: twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. To interlock or interlace: twist flowers in one’s hair. To cause to rotate or turn in another direction: twisted twisted ice tea review heads around at the sound of the doorbell.

To impart a spiral or coiling shape to, as by turning the ends in opposite directions: twisting wire into a loop. To turn or open by turning: twisted off the bottle cap. To pull, break, or snap by turning: twist off a dead branch. To wrench or sprain: twist one’s wrist. To alter or distort the intended meaning of: The cross-examiner twisted the words of the witness. To alter or distort the mental, moral, or emotional character of: The trauma twisted the child’s outlook. The river twisted toward the sea.

To rotate or turn in another direction: The owl’s head twisted around toward me. 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. Tobacco leaves processed into the form of a rope or roll.

A loaf of bread or other bakery product made from pieces of dough twisted together. A sliver of citrus peel twisted over or dropped into a beverage for flavoring. A complete rotation of the body around its vertical axis, as in diving and gymnastics. A spinning motion given to a ball when thrown or struck in a specific way. The degree or angle of torsional stress. A contortion or distortion of the body, especially the face.

A distortion of meaning: gave my words a misleading twist. A sprain or wrench, as of an ankle. A dance characterized by vigorous gyrations of the hips and arms. If our envoy was so blameless, why had she been left to twist in the wind?