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contorted - 5 dictionary results

con⋅tort⋅ed

  [kuhn-tawr-tid]
Use contorted in a Sentence
–adjective
1. twisted in a violent manner; distorted.
2. twisted back on itself; convoluted.
Origin:
1615–25; contort + -ed 2

Related forms:
con⋅tort⋅ed⋅ly, adverb
con⋅tort⋅ed⋅ness, noun

con⋅tort

  [kuhn-tawrt]
–verb (used with object)
1. to twist, bend, or draw out of shape; distort.
–verb (used without object)
2. to become twisted, distorted, or strained: His face contorted into a grotesque sneer.
Origin:
1555–65; < L contortus twisted together, ptp. of contorquēre. See con-, tort
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To contorted
con·tort   (kən-tôrt')   
v.   con·tort·ed, con·tort·ing, con·torts

v.   tr.
To twist, wrench, or bend severely out of shape: pain that contorted their faces.
v.   intr.
To become twisted into a strained shape or expression. See Synonyms at distort.

[Latin contorquēre, contort-, to twist : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + torquēre, to twist; see terkw- in Indo-European roots.]
con·tor'tion n., con·tor'tive adj.
con·tort·ed   (kən-tôr'tĭd)   
adj.  
  1. Twisted or strained out of shape.
  2. Botany Twisted, bent, or partially rolled upon itself; convolute.
con·tort'ed·ly adv., con·tort'ed·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Contorted

Con*tort"ed\, a. 1. Twisted, or twisted together. "A contorted chain of icicles." --Massinger.

2. (Bot.) (a) Twisted back upon itself, as some parts of plants. (b) Arranged so as to overlap each other; as, petals in contorted or convolute [ae]stivation.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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