twister
twister Lexical Profile
twister Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American An informal term for a tornado, whirlwind, or waterspout characterized by a violently rotating column of air.
"Residents sought shelter in their basements as the massive twister touched down on the outskirts of town."
A person, machine, or tool that twists, winds, or spins something, such as fibers into yarn or wire into cable.
"The textile museum features an antique mechanical twister used to spin raw wool into sturdy yarn."
British An informal term for a dishonest, unscrupulous, or untrustworthy person who distorts the truth or cheats others.
"Nobody in the village trusted the local merchant after discovering he was a shameless twister."
In baseball or cricket, a pitched or bowled ball delivered with a strong spinning motion that causes it to curve or change direction.
"The batter swung and missed as the pitcher threw a sharp twister across the outside corner of the plate."
• Rhymes for twister
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English as an agent noun from the verb 'twist' plus the suffix '-er', originally denoting a person or machine that twists fibers into thread or rope. The informal North American sense referring to a tornado was recorded in the late 19th century, inspired by the violently rotating column of air.