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.