twister

American  

[twis-ter] / ˈtwɪs tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that twists.

2. Informal. a whirlwind or tornado.

3. Chiefly British Informal. a deceitful, unscrupulous person.

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twister British  

/ ˈtwɪstə /

noun

1. a swindling or dishonest person

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

3. an informal name for tornado

4. a ball moving with a twisting motion

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Etymology

Origin of twister

1475–85; 1895–1900 twister for def. 2; twist + -er ¹

Example Sentences

“The curly tips of unfurled fern fronds. It makes an excellent tongue twister, doesn’t it? Unfurled fern fronds! Unfurled fern fronds!”

From Literature

But when a twister menaces their city, and Dad calls the boys while on the air, that goes viral and there’s actually a moral to the story.

From The Wall Street Journal

Six people died in Mississippi as tornadoes swept through that state and twisters killed another three in Alabama, including an 82-year-old woman.

From BBC

While a twister didn’t end up touching down in San Francisco, one did just south in Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County.

From Los Angeles Times

The weather service notes most of these twisters are "relatively weak and short-lived, but they still pose a significant threat".

From BBC

Related Words

• cyclone
• tornado
• whirlwind