contort

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: con=tort

CIDE DICTIONARY

contort, v. t. [L. contortus, p. p. of contorquere to twist; con- + torquere to twist. See Torture.].

 To twist, or twist together; to turn awry; to bend; to distort; to wrest.  [1913 Webster]
"The vertebral arteries are variously contorted."  [1913 Webster]
"Kant contorted the term category from the proper meaning of attributed."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

contort, v.tr. twist or force out of normal shape.

Etymology

L contorquere contort- (as COM-, torquere twist)

THESAURUS

contort

bend, buckle, corkscrew, crinkle, crook, crumple, curve, distort, garble, get one wrong, get wrong, gloss, gnarl, intort, knot, meander, misapply, misapprehend, miscite, misconceive, misconstrue, misdeem, misexplain, misexplicate, misexpound, misinterpret, misjudge, misquote, misread, misrender, misshape, mistake, mistranslate, misunderstand, pervert, scallop, screw, serpentine, slink, snake, spring, squeeze, strain the sense, swirl, torture, turn, turn awry, twine, twirl, twist, twist and turn, twist the words, warp, whirl, whorl, wind, worm, wrench, wrest, wring, writhe

ROGET THESAURUS

contort

Distortion

VB distort, contort, twist, warp, wrest, writhe, make faces, deform, misshape.

Convolution

VB be convoluted, wind, twine, turn and twist, twirl, wave, undulate, meander, inosculate, entwine, intwine, twist, coil, roll, wrinkle, curl, crisp, twill, frizzle, crimp, crape, indent, scollop, scallop, wring, intort, contort, wreathe.