contortion

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

con·tort

(kən-tôrt′)

v. con·tort·ed, con·tort·ing, con·torts

v.tr.

1. To twist, wrench, or bend out of proper or natural shape: fingers contorted by arthritis. See Synonyms at distort.

2. To cause to deviate from what is normal, proper, or accurate: The leaders of the movement contorted their own principles in trying to get what they wanted.

v.intr.

To become contorted: "Her face contorts with pain and horror, as if something deep inside her has been shattered" (Rachel Simon).

[Latin contorquēre, contort-, to twist : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + torquēre, to twist; see terk^w- in Indo-European roots.]

con·tor′tion n.

con·tor′tive adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

contortion

(kənˈtɔːʃən)

1. the act or process of contorting or the state of being contorted

2. a twisted shape or position

3. something twisted or out of the ordinary in character, meaning, etc: mental contortions.

conˈtortional adj

conˈtortioned adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•tor•tion

(kənˈtɔr ʃən)

n.

1. the act or process of contorting.

2. the state of being contorted.

3. a contorted position.

4. something contorted.

[1605–15; < Latin]

con•tor′tion•al, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	contortion - the act of twisting or deforming the shape of something (e.g., yourself) deformation change of shape - an action that changes the shape of something
	2.	contortion - a tortuous and twisted shape or position; "they built a tree house in the tortuosities of its boughs"; "the acrobat performed incredible contortions" crookedness, torsion, tortuosity, tortuousness distorted shape, distortion - a shape resulting from distortion

contortion

noun twist, distortion, deformity, convolution, bend, knot, warp The symptoms of the poison included facial contortions.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

إلتِواء، حَرَكَة إلتِوائِيّه

zkřivenízkroucení

forvrængningforvridninggrimasse

Verdrehung

contorsion

aflögun

contorcimento

fordreining forvridd form forvridning

искажение искривление

skrivenie

bükmeburuşturma

扭弯

contortion

[kənˈtɔːʃən] N (= act) → retorcimiento m; (= movement) → contorsión f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

contortion

[kənˈtɔː^rʃ^ən] n [face] → crispation f; [acrobat, body] → contorsion f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

contortion

n (esp of acrobat) → Verrenkung f; (of features) → Verzerrung f; mental contortions → geistige Verrenkungen pl → or Klimmzüge pl; he resorted to elaborate verbal contortions to avoid telling the truth → er hat sich gedreht und gewendet, um nicht die Wahrheit sagen zu müssen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

contortion

[kənˈtɔːʃ/ən] n (of acrobat) → contorsione f, contorcimento

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

contort

(kənˈtoːt) verb

to twist or turn violently. His face was contorted with pain.

conˈtortion (-ʃən) noun

conˈtortionist noun

an entertainer who contorts his body.

References in classic literature ?

he slumped to the floor, twisted his silken limbs in one great straining contortion of pain, and was dead.

View in context

A swift muscular contortion made the left shoulder strike the ground first.

View in context

He could already see the intendant's beaming smile change to a contortion of grief.

View in context

One hand, between the pickets, seemed waving at her, and almost he seemed to wink at her jocosely, though she knew it to be the contortion of deadly pain.

View in context

All the oarsmen are involved in its perilous contortions; so that to the timid eye of the landsman, they seem as Indian jugglers, with the deadliest snakes sportively festooning their limbs.

View in context

When Madame Lebrun complained that it was so dull coming back to the city; that she saw so few people now; that even Victor, when he came up from the island for a day or two, had so much to occupy him and engage his time; then it was that the youth went into contortions on the lounge and winked mischievously at Edna.

View in context

Ben Gunn was on deck alone, and as soon as we came on board he began, with wonderful contortions, to make us a confession.

View in context

Up and down swam the fish, then he made the most dreadful contortions, and became suddenly quite still.

View in context

The blacks continued to show their displeasure by grimaces and contortions. Their obi-men, or wizards, went up and down among the angry throngs, pouring fuel on the flame of their fanaticism; and some of the excited wretches, more furious and daring than the rest, attempted to get to the island by swimming, but they were easily driven off.

View in context

The babe sat on the floor watching the scene, his face in contortions like that of a woman at a tragedy.

View in context

But all the field afternoons and recitation Fridays and physical culture contortions paled before a project which Miss Stacy brought forward in November.

View in context

But Pearl, not a whit startled at her mother's threats any more than mollified by her entreaties, now suddenly burst into a fit of passion, gesticulating violently, and throwing her small figure into the most extravagant contortions She accompanied this wild outbreak with piercing shrieks, which the woods reverberated on all sides, so that, alone as she was in her childish and unreasonable wrath, it seemed as if a hidden multitude were lending her their sympathy and encouragement.