Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

5 VERB If you twist something, you turn it so that it moves around in a circular direction. □ [V n] She was staring down at her hands, twisting the ring on her finger. □ [V n with adv] Reaching up to a cupboard he takes out a jar and twists the lid off. ● N‑COUNT Twist is also a noun. □ [+ of ] The bag is resealed with a simple twist of the valve.

6 VERB If a road or river twists , it has a lot of sudden changes of direction in it. □ [V prep] The roads twist round hairpin bends. □ [V ] The lane twists and turns between pleasant but unspectacular cottages. ● N‑COUNT [usu pl] Twist is also a noun. □ [+ of ] The train maintains a constant speed through the twists and turns of track.

7 VERB If you say that someone has twisted something that you have said, you disapprove of them because they have repeated it in a way that changes its meaning, in order to harm you or benefit themselves. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] It's a shame the way that the media can twist your words and misrepresent you.

8 N‑COUNT A twist in something is an unexpected and significant development. □  The battle of the sexes also took a new twist.

9 N‑COUNT A twist is the shape that something has when it has been twisted. □ [+ of ] …bunches of violets in twists of paper.

10 PHRASE If something happens by a twist of fate , it happens by chance, and it is strange, interesting, or unfortunate in some way. □  By a curious twist of fate, cricket was also my favourite sport.

11 → see also twisted

12to twist someone's arm → see arm ➊

13to get your knickers in a twist → see knickers

14to twist the knife → see knife

twist|ed /tw I st I d/ ADJ If you describe a person as twisted , you dislike them because you think they are strange in an unpleasant way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  …a twisted man who shot at the president.

twist|er /tw I stə ^r / (twisters ) N‑COUNT A twister is the same as a tornado . [AM ]

twisty /tw I sti/ ADJ A twisty road, track, or river has a lot of sharp bends and corners.

twit /tw I t/ (twits ) N‑COUNT If you call someone as a twit , you are insulting them and saying that they are silly or stupid. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

twitch /tw I tʃ/ (twitches , twitching , twitched ) VERB If something, especially a part of your body, twitches or if you twitch it, it makes a little jumping movement. □ [V ] When I stood up to her, her right cheek would begin to twitch. □ [V n] Stern twitched his shoulders. ● N‑COUNT Twitch is also a noun. □  He developed a nervous twitch and began to blink constantly.

twitch|er /tw I tʃə ^r / (twitchers ) N‑COUNT A twitcher is an enthusiastic bird-watcher. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]

twitchy /tw I tʃi/ ADJ If you are twitchy , you are behaving in a rather nervous way that shows you feel anxious and cannot relax. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ about ] Afraid of bad publicity, the department had suddenly become very twitchy about journalists.

twit|ter /tw I tə ^r / (twitters , twittering , twittered )

1 VERB When birds twitter , they make a lot of short high-pitched sounds. □ [V ] There were birds twittering in the eucalyptus trees. □ [V -ing] …a tree filled with twittering birds. ● N‑UNCOUNT Twitter is also a noun. □ [+ of ] Naomi would waken to the twitter of birds.