twister

[ twis-ter ]

/ ˈtwɪs tər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for twister on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that twists.

Informal. a whirlwind or tornado.

Chiefly British Informal. a deceitful, unscrupulous person.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of twister

1475–85; 1895–1900 for def. 2; twist + -er¹

Words nearby twister

twist around one's finger, twist drill, twisted, twisted hairs, twisted stomach worm, twister, twist grip, twisties, twisting, twist in the wind, twist someone's arm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use twister in a sentence

In southern New Jersey, the Weather Service was investigating whether any twisters touched down after radar detected the possibility of several.
Tropical Storm Elsa drenching New England after deluging Mid-Atlantic|Matthew Cappucci|July 9, 2021|Washington Post
Before that event, only two days in the modern record since 1950 have produced twisters inside Washington.
Explaining the tornado warning and storm damage in D.C. on Thursday night|Jeffrey Halverson, Jason Samenow, Ian Livingston|July 2, 2021|Washington Post
The tornado in Charles Town and twister in Frederick County were part of a small but long-lived complex of storms tracking to the northeast Monday evening.
How a tornadic storm tore through West Virginia and parts of northern Maryland Monday|Jeffrey Halverson, Jason Samenow|May 6, 2021|Washington Post
In northeast West Virginia, a twister rated EF1 on the 0 to 5 scale for tornado intensity, downed trees and wires and damaged structures in Ranson, which is just north of Charles Town.
How a tornadic storm tore through West Virginia and parts of northern Maryland Monday|Jeffrey Halverson, Jason Samenow|May 6, 2021|Washington Post

Spann tweeted his thanks Thursday evening to “all of you who have reached out to me,” saying his wife was there when the twister hit but went unscathed inside their in-home shelter.
A beloved Alabama weatherman learned mid-broadcast that a tornado hit home. He got back on air.|Hannah Knowles|March 26, 2021|Washington Post
The F4 twister cut a long swath of destruction that crossed just four blocks from my house.
Heed the Warnings: Why We’re on the Brink of Mass Extinction|Sean B. Carroll|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The big twister on Monday had no sooner moved on than the paramedics were there.
The First Funeral for Moore, Oklahoma|Michael Daly|May 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The other injuries from this latest twister largely seemed to come from flying debris.
The First Funeral for Moore, Oklahoma|Michael Daly|May 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When the twister tore through Moore, Mona Thomas lost everything.
The Twister Stole My Pet: How Cats, Dogs, and a Donkey Survived Oklahoma|Christine Pelisek|May 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If that is so, then the twister was a measure of the forces we are playing with.
Oklahoma Tornado Devastation: What the Twister Left Behind|Michael Daly|May 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"Yuh couldn't ride Twister, yuh know yuh couldn't," Pink objected gently.
The Happy Family|Bertha Muzzy Bower
Jack was fully qualified to assume this task, and it was seldom they were ever able to stump him with a twister.
Motor Boat Boys Down the Danube|Louis Arundel
Moreover, Jviii does not even revolve in a closed orbit; its path is an open twister of unreturning turns.
Major Prophets of To-Day|Edwin E. Slosson
"Yes, I reckon it will be more exciting than that cyclone twister that came near wafting us away," Jim said.
The Frontier Boys in the Grand Canyon|Wyn Roosevelt
And the time-honoured rhyme, "When a twister a twisting," etc., has been traced back by Halliwell to a collection of 1674.
Comparative Studies in Nursery Rhymes|Lina Eckenstein

British Dictionary definitions for twister

twister

/ (ˈtwɪstə) /

noun

British a swindling or dishonest person

a person or thing that twists, such as a device used in making ropes

US and Canadian an informal name for tornado

a ball moving with a twisting motion

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

twister

Origin of twister

Words nearby twister

Words related to twister

How to use twister in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for twister