contortion


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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 terkw- 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)
n
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.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. [画像:contortion - the act of twisting or deforming the shape of something (e.g., yourself)]contortion - the act of twisting or deforming the shape of something (e.g., yourself)
change of shape - an action that changes the shape of something
2. [画像:contortion - a tortuous and twisted shape or position]contortion - a tortuous and twisted shape or position; "they built a tree house in the tortuosities of its boughs"; "the acrobat performed incredible contortions"
distorted shape, distortion - a shape resulting from distortion
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

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
aflögun
skrivenie
bükmeburuşturma

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

[kənˈtɔːrʃən] 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 contortionsgeistige Verrenkungen plor Klimmzüge pl; he resorted to elaborate verbal contortions to avoid telling the truther 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

[kənˈtɔːʃn] 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. verwring يَلْتَوي، يَتَلَوّى изкривявам contorcer-se zkroutit, zkřivit verzerren, verdrehen forvride; fortrække συστρέφω, γυρίζω απότομα contraer; contorsionarse väänama کج و کوله شدن؛ از شکل افتادن vääristyä crisper לְעַווֵת, לְעָקֵם ऎंठना svijati eltorzít mengerut afskræma contorcere, distorcere ゆがめる 일그러지다 iškraipyti, perkreipti sagriezt; saliekt; saviebt berkernyut verwringen forvrenge, fordreie, forvri wykrzywiać سره پيجل: حقايق په بله بڼه ښوول: سره اړول contorcer-se a schi­mo­nosi искажать skriviť skriviti, spačiti iskriviti förvrida ทําให้บิดเบี้ยว bükmek, buruşturmak 使扭曲 скривляти, перекручувати مروڑنا، اين‍ٹ‍ھنا làm méo mó 扭弯
conˈtortion (-ʃən) noun
verwringing إلتِواء، حَرَكَة إلتِوائِيّه изкривяване contorção zkroucení, zkřivení die Verdrehung forvridning; forvrængning; grimasse σύσπαση contorsión väänutus از شکل افتادگی vääristymä contorsion עוות, עיוות शरीर की ऎंठन uvijanje eltorzítás pengerutan aflögun contorsione, contorcimento ねじれ 뒤틀림, 일그러짐 iškraipymas sagriešana; saliekšana; saviebšana kekernyutan verwringing forvridd form, forvridning, fordreining wykrzywienie له contorção contorsionare искажение skrivenie skrivljenost, spačenost iščašenost förvridning การบิดเบี้ยว bükme, buruşturma 扭曲 викривлення; перекручення اين‍ٹ‍ھن، تشنج sự làm méo 扭弯
conˈtortionist noun
an entertainer who contorts his body. kontorsiekunstenaar, lyfvlegter بَهْلَوان التَلَوّي акробат contorcionista hadí muž/žena der Schlangenmensch slangemenneske αυτός που μπορεί να συστρέφει το σώμα του contorsionista kondiväänaja کسی که بدن خود را بطور عجیبی کج و کوله می کند käärmeihminen contorsionniste אִיש גוִּמי ऐंठनबाज, नट akrobat kígyóember kontorsionis slöngumaður, snákmenni contorsionista 曲芸師 곡예사 akrobatas akrobāts ahli peliuk badan slangenmens slangemenneske człowiek-guma هغه څوك چې خپل ځان كوږ او اوږ كوى contorcionista contorsionist человек-змея hadí muž, hadia žena akrobat, človek iz gume čovek-zmija ormmänniska นักกายกรรมที่สามารถบิดตัวเป็นรูปร่างต่าง ๆ vücudunu çeşitli şekillere sokan akrobat 柔體雜技演員 акробат; "людина-змія" ن‍ٹ، جسم كو مروڑ كر كرتب دكهانيوالا diễn viên uốn dẻo 柔体杂技演员
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
he slumped to the floor, twisted his silken limbs in one great straining contortion of pain, and was dead.
A swift muscular contortion made the left shoulder strike the ground first.
He could already see the intendant's beaming smile change to a contortion of grief.
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.
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.
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.
Ben Gunn was on deck alone, and as soon as we came on board he began, with wonderful contortions, to make us a confession.
Up and down swam the fish, then he made the most dreadful contortions, and became suddenly quite still.
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.
The babe sat on the floor watching the scene, his face in contortions like that of a woman at a tragedy.
But all the field afternoons and recitation Fridays and physical culture contortions paled before a project which Miss Stacy brought forward in November.
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.

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