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twisting

 - 8 dictionary results

twist⋅ing

  [twis-ting]
Use twisting in a Sentence
–noun
the practice of an insurance agent of tricking the holder of a life insurance policy into letting it lapse so that the insured will replace it with one of a company represented by the agent.
Origin:
1905–10; twist + -ing 1

twist

  [twist] ,
–verb (used with object)
1. to combine, as two or more strands or threads, by winding together; intertwine.
2. to form by or as if by winding strands together: Several fibers were used to twist the rope.
3. to entwine (one thing) with another; interlace (something) with something else; interweave; plait.
4. to wind or coil (something) about something else; encircle; entwine; wreathe.
5. to alter in shape, as by turning the ends in opposite directions, so that parts previously in the same straight line and plane are located in a spiral curve: The sculptor twisted the form into an arabesque. He twisted his body around to look behind him.
6. to turn sharply or wrench out of place; sprain: He twisted his ankle.
7. to pull, tear, or break off by turning forcibly: He twisted the arm off the puppet.
8. to distort (the features) by tensing or contracting the facial muscles; contort: She twisted her face in a wry smile.
9. to distort the meaning or form of; pervert: He twisted my comment about to suit his own purpose.
10. to cause to become mentally or emotionally distorted; warp: The loss of his business twisted his whole outlook on life.
11. to form into a coil, knot, or the like by winding, rolling, etc.: to twist the hair into a knot.
12. to bend tortuously.
13. to cause to move with a rotary motion, as a ball pitched in a curve.
14. to turn (something) from one direction to another, as by rotating or revolving: I twisted my chair to face the window.
15. to combine or associate intimately.
–verb (used without object)
16. to be or become intertwined.
17. to wind or twine about something.
18. to writhe or squirm.
19. to take a spiral form or course; wind, curve, or bend.
20. to turn or rotate, as on an axis; revolve, as about something; spin.
21. to turn so as to face in another direction.
22. to turn, coil, or bend into a spiral shape.
23. to change shape under forcible turning or twisting.
24. to move with a progressive rotary motion, as a ball pitched in a curve.
25. to dance the twist.
–noun
26. a deviation in direction; curve; bend; turn.
27. the action of turning or rotating on an axis; rotary motion; spin.
28. anything formed by or as if by twisting or twining parts together.
29. the act or process of twining strands together, as in thread, yarn, or rope.
30. a twisting awry or askew.
31. distortion or perversion, as of meaning or form.
32. a peculiar attitude or bias; eccentric turn or bent of mind; eccentricity.
33. spiral disposition, arrangement, or form.
34. spiral movement or course.
35. an irregular bend; crook; kink.
36. a sudden, unanticipated change of course, as of events.
37. a treatment, method, idea, version, etc., esp. one differing from that which preceded: The screenwriters gave the old plot a new twist.
38. the changing of the shape of anything by or as by turning the ends in opposite directions.
39. the stress causing this alteration; torque.
40. the resulting state.
41. a twisting or torsional action, force, or stress; torsion.
42. a strong, twisted silk thread, heavier than ordinary sewing silk, for working buttonholes and for other purposes.
43. the direction of twisting in weaving yarn; S twist or Z twist.
44. a loaf or roll of dough twisted and baked.
45. a strip of citrus peel that has been twisted and placed in a drink to add flavor.
46. a kind of tobacco manufactured in the form of a rope or thick cord.
47. a dance performed by couples and characterized by strongly rhythmic turns and twists of the arms, legs, and torso.
48. the degree of spiral formed by the grooves in a rifled firearm or cannon.
49. Gymnastics, Diving. a full rotation of the body about the vertical axis.
50. a wrench.
—Idiom
51. twist one's arm, Informal. to coerce: I didn't want to go, but he twisted my arm.
Origin:
1300–50; ME twisten to divide, deriv. of twist divided object, rope (cf. OE -twist in candel-twist pair of snuffers); c. D twisten to quarrel, G Zwist a quarrel. See twi-

Related forms:
twist⋅a⋅ble, adjective
twist⋅a⋅bil⋅i⋅ty, noun
twist⋅ed⋅ly, adverb
twist⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
7. wrench, wrest, yank. 32. See turn.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To twisting
twist   (twĭst)   
v.   twist·ed, twist·ing, twists

v.   tr.

    1. To wind together (two or more threads, for example) so as to produce a single strand.

    2. To form in this manner: twist a length of rope from strands of hemp.

    3. To turn or open by turning: twisted off the bottle cap.

    4. To pull, break, or snap by turning: twist off a dead branch.

  2. To wind or coil (vines or rope, for example) about something.

  3. To interlock or interlace: twist flowers in one's hair.

  4. To make (one's way) in a tortuous manner: twisted my way through the briar patch.

  5. To turn so as to face another direction: twisted their heads around at the sound of the doorbell.

  6. To impart a spiral or coiling shape to, as by turning the ends in opposite directions: twisting wire into a loop.

    1. To turn or open by turning: twisted off the bottle cap.

    2. To pull, break, or snap by turning: twist off a dead branch.

  8. To wrench or sprain: twist one's wrist.

  9. To alter the normal aspect of; contort: twist one's mouth into a wry smile.

  10. To alter or distort the intended meaning of: The cross-examiner twisted the words of the witness. See Synonyms at distort.

  11. To alter or distort the mental, moral, or emotional character of: The trauma twisted the child's outlook.

v.   intr.

  1. To be or become twisted.

  2. To move or progress in a winding course; meander: The river twisted toward the sea.

  3. To squirm; writhe: twist with pain.

  4. To rotate or revolve.

  5. To dance the twist.

  6. To move so as to face in another direction.

n.  

  1. Something twisted or formed by twisting, especially:

    1. A length of yarn, cord, or thread, especially a strong silk thread used mainly to bind the edges of buttonholes.

    2. Tobacco leaves processed into the form of a rope or roll.

    3. A loaf of bread or other bakery product made from pieces of dough twisted together.

    4. A sliver of citrus peel twisted over or dropped into a beverage for flavoring.

    5. A complete rotation of the body around its vertical axis, as in diving and gymnastics.

    6. A spinning motion given to a ball when thrown or struck in a specific way.

    7. The state of being twisted into a spiral; torsional stress or strain.

    8. The degree or angle of torsional stress.

    9. A contortion or distortion of the body, especially the face.

    10. A distortion of meaning: gave my words a misleading twist.

  2. The act of twisting or the condition of being twisted; a spin, twirl, or rotation.

  3. Sports

    1. A complete rotation of the body around its vertical axis, as in diving and gymnastics.

    2. A spinning motion given to a ball when thrown or struck in a specific way.

    3. The state of being twisted into a spiral; torsional stress or strain.

    4. The degree or angle of torsional stress.

    5. A contortion or distortion of the body, especially the face.

    6. A distortion of meaning: gave my words a misleading twist.

    1. The state of being twisted into a spiral; torsional stress or strain.

    2. The degree or angle of torsional stress.

    3. A contortion or distortion of the body, especially the face.

    4. A distortion of meaning: gave my words a misleading twist.

    1. A contortion or distortion of the body, especially the face.

    2. A distortion of meaning: gave my words a misleading twist.

  6. A sprain or wrench, as of an ankle.

  7. A change in direction; a turn: a sharp twist in the path.

  8. An unexpected change in a process or a departure from a pattern, often producing a distortion or perversion: a twist of fate; a story with a quirky twist.

  9. A personal inclination or eccentricity; a penchant or flaw: an odd twist to his character.

  10. A dance characterized by vigorous gyrations of the hips and arms.


[Middle English twisten, to squeeze, be divided, from twist, a divided object, fork, rope, from Old English -twist; see dwo- in Indo-European roots.]
twist'a·bil'i·ty n., twist'a·ble adj., twist'ing·ly adv., twist'y adj.
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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Slang Dictionary
twist

and frail
  1. n.
    a girl; a woman. (Underworld. Possibly rhyming slang twist and twirl = girl and frail frame = dame. Detective novels and movies.) : This good-looking twist comes over to the table and asks Lefty if he'd like to dance. , I'll shoot the frail if you don't hand it over!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

twist  (n.)
1350, "flat part of a hinge," probably from O.E. -twist (in mæsttwist "mast rope, stay;" candeltwist "wick"), from P.Gmc. *twis-, from root of two. Original senses suggest "dividing in two" (cf. cognate O.N. tvistra "to divide, separate," Goth. twis- "in two, asunder," Du. twist, Ger. zwist "quarrel, discord," though these senes have no equivalent in Eng.), but later ones are of "combining two into one," hence the original sense of the word may be "rope made of two strands." Meaning "thread or cord composed of two or more fibers" is recorded from 1555. Meaning "act or action of turning on an axis" is attested from 1576. Sense of "beverage consisting of two or more liquors" is first attested c.1700. Meaning "thick cord of tobacco" is from 1791. Meaning "curled piece of lemon, etc., used to flavor a drink" is recorded from 1958. Sense of "unexpected plot development" is from 1941. The popular rock 'n' roll dance craze is from 1961, but twist was used to describe popular dances in 1894 and again in the 1920s. To get one's knickers in a twist "be unduly agitated" is British slang first attested 1971.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

twisting

An attempt to convince an individual to sell one product and purchase another product, primarily so the salesperson can earn additional commissions. In the brokerage business, twisting is usually called churning. Twisting, the more general term, applies to the sale of other products as well, such as insurance policies.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: twist·ing
Function: noun
: the making of a misrepresentation by an insurance agent to cause a policyholder to surrender or lapse an insurance policy esp. for the purpose of replacing it with another policy
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Encyclopedia

twisting

in yarn and rope production, process that binds fibres or yarns together in a continuous strand, accomplished in spinning or playing operations. The direction of the twist may be to the right, described as Z twist, or to the left, described as S twist.

Learn more about twisting with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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