Warp

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /wɔːp/

Definitions

1. To change the shape of something by bending or twisting it out of its usual form ; to alter the normal flow or fabric of time or space by causing distortion ; the set of lengthwise threads held under tension on a loom for weaving fabric
2. To become bent or twisted from a straight form, especially due to heat or pressure ; to create a distortion effect that affects time or space continuity ; the longitudinal threads in woven cloth onto which the cross threads are woven
3. To deform a material or object so it no longer lies flat or straight ; to manipulate the dimensions or perception of time or space typically in science fiction contexts ; the lengthwise threads arranged on a loom that form the foundation of woven material

Etymology: The verb and the noun "warp" turn out to be two different Old English words that happened to land on the same spelling. The noun came from Old English "wearp," meaning the lengthwise threads stretched on a loom, and also a twig or osier, a flexible willow shoot. The verb came from "weorpan," which meant "to throw." Its German cousin "werfen" still means "to throw" today, which hints at how the verb once connected to physical hurling and turning. The noun's loom sense is the older and more concrete one. Those taut threads were the foundation a weaver built the cloth on, which is why weaving terms often survive in English. The verb's sense of "to throw" gradually gave way to the idea of twisting or bending something out of its natural shape, the way a board warps when it is left in damp air. That bending sense is the one that later stretched to describe distorting time or space, as in science fiction.

Synonyms: distort, bend, twist

Antonyms: straighten, align