contort
51torment — [13] The notion underlying torment is of an instrument of torture worked by ‘twisting’. The word was borrowed from Latin tormentum ‘instrument of torture’, hence ‘torture, great suffering’. This was a contraction of an earlier *torquementum, a… …
52deform — deform, distort, contort, warp mean to mar or spoil a person s or thing s appearance, character, true nature, or development by or as if by twisting. Deform is the least specific of these terms in its implications; sometimes, it carries no… …
53twist — [n1] curl, spin arc, bend, braid, coil, convolution, curlicue, curve, flourish, hank, helix, jerk, meander, plug, ply, pull, roll, spiral, swivel, torsion, turn, twine, undulation, warp, wind, wrench, yank, zigzag; concepts 738,754 twist [n2]… …
54torment — [13] The notion underlying torment is of an instrument of torture worked by ‘twisting’. The word was borrowed from Latin tormentum ‘instrument of torture’, hence ‘torture, great suffering’. This was a contraction of an earlier *torquementum, a… …
55writhe — [rīth] vt. writhed, writhing [ME writhen < OE writhan, to twist, wind about, akin to ON rītha < IE base * wer , to bend, twist > WREATH, WRY] to cause to twist or turn; contort vi. 1. to make twisting or turning movements; contort the… …
56make a face — verb contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state He grimaced when he saw the amount of homework he had to do • Syn: ↑grimace, ↑pull a face • Derivationally related forms: ↑grimace (for: ↑grimace) …
57wry´ness — wry «ry», adjective, wri|er, wri|est, verb, wried, wry|ing. –adj. 1. turned to one side; …
58wry´ly — wry «ry», adjective, wri|er, wri|est, verb, wried, wry|ing. –adj. 1. turned to one side; …
59Contortion — Con*tor tion (k[o^]n*t[^o] sh[u^]n), n. [L. contortio: cf. F. contorsion. See {Contort}, and cf. {Torsion}.] A twisting; a writhing; wry motion; a twist; as, the contortion of the muscles of the face. Swift. [1913 Webster] All the contortions of… …
60Posture — Pos ture, v. i. 1. To assume a particular posture or attitude; to contort the body into artificial attitudes, as an acrobat or contortionist; also, to pose. [1913 Webster] 2. Fig.: To assume a character; as, to posture as a saint. [1913 Webster] …
