From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
twist
n 1: an unforeseen development; "events suddenly took an awkward
turn" [syn: turn, turn of events, twist]
2: an interpretation of a text or action; "they put an
unsympathetic construction on his conduct" [syn:
construction, twist]
3: any clever maneuver; "he would stoop to any device to win a
point"; "it was a great sales gimmick"; "a cheap promotions
gimmick for greedy businessmen" [syn: device, gimmick,
twist]
4: the act of rotating rapidly; "he gave the crank a spin"; "it
broke off after much twisting" [syn: spin, twirl,
twist, twisting, whirl]
5: a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments; "the wrench to his
knee occurred as he fell"; "he was sidelined with a hamstring
pull" [syn: wrench, twist, pull]
6: a sharp bend in a line produced when a line having a loop is
pulled tight [syn: kink, twist, twirl]
7: a circular segment of a curve; "a bend in the road"; "a crook
in the path" [syn: bend, crook, twist, turn]
8: a miniature whirlpool or whirlwind resulting when the current
of a fluid doubles back on itself [syn: eddy, twist]
9: a jerky pulling movement [syn: twist, wrench]
10: a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair [syn:
braid, plait, tress, twist]
11: social dancing in which couples vigorously twist their hips
and arms in time to the music; was popular in the 1960s;
"they liked to dance the twist"
12: the act of winding or twisting; "he put the key in the old
clock and gave it a good wind" [syn: wind, winding,
twist]
13: turning or twisting around (in place); "with a quick twist
of his head he surveyed the room" [syn: twist, turn]
v 1: to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when
struggling); "The prisoner writhed in discomfort"; "The
child tried to wriggle free from his aunt's embrace" [syn:
writhe, wrestle, wriggle, worm, squirm, twist]
2: cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form;
"bend the rod"; "twist the dough into a braid"; "the strong
man could turn an iron bar" [syn: flex, bend, deform,
twist, turn] [ant: unbend]
3: turn in the opposite direction; "twist one's head"
4: form into a spiral shape; "The cord is all twisted" [syn:
twist, twine, distort] [ant: untwist]
5: form into twists; "Twist the strips of dough"
6: extend in curves and turns; "The road winds around the lake";
"the path twisted through the forest" [syn: wind, twist,
curve]
7: do the twist
8: twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to
remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from
where it originates; "wrench a window off its hinges";
"wrench oneself free from somebody's grip"; "a deep sigh was
wrenched from his chest" [syn: wrench, twist]
9: practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about
in order to mislead or deceive; "Don't twist my words" [syn:
twist, twist around, pervert, convolute,
sophisticate]
10: twist suddenly so as to sprain; "wrench one's ankle"; "The
wrestler twisted his shoulder"; "the hikers sprained their
ankles when they fell"; "I turned my ankle and couldn't walk
for several days" [syn: twist, sprain, wrench, turn,
wrick, rick]