warp

[ wawrp ]

/ wɔrp /

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See synonyms for: warp / warped on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to bend or twist out of shape, especially from a straight or flat form, as timbers or flooring.

to bend or turn from the natural or true direction or course.

to distort or cause to distort from the truth, fact, true meaning, etc.; bias; falsify: Prejudice warps the mind.

Aeronautics. to curve or bend (a wing or other airfoil) at the end or ends to promote equilibrium or to secure lateral control.

Nautical. to move (a vessel) into a desired place or position by hauling on a rope that has been fastened to something fixed, as a buoy or anchor.

Agriculture. to fertilize (land) by inundation with water that deposits alluvial matter.

verb (used without object)

to become bent or twisted out of shape, especially out of a straight or flat form: The wood has warped in drying.

to be or become biased; hold or change an opinion due to prejudice, external influence, or the like.

Nautical.

to warp a ship or boat into position.
(of a ship or boat) to move by being warped.

(of a stratum in the earth's crust) to bend slightly, to a degree that no fold or fault results.

noun

a bend, twist, or variation from a straight or flat form in something, as in wood that has dried unevenly.

a mental twist, bias, or quirk, or a biased or twisted attitude or judgment.

the set of yarns placed lengthwise in the loom, crossed by and interlaced with the weft, and forming the lengthwise threads in a woven fabric.

time warp.

a situation, environment, etc., that seems characteristic of another era, especially in being out of touch with contemporary life or attitudes, etc.

Also called spring, spring line. Nautical. a rope for warping or hauling a ship or boat along or into position.

alluvial matter deposited by water, especially water let in to inundate low land so as to enrich it.

OTHER WORDS FOR warp

1 turn, contort, distort.

2 swerve, deviate.

See synonyms for warp on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR warp

1, 7 straighten.

See antonyms for warp on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of warp

before 900; (v.) Middle English werpen,Old English weorpan to throw; cognate with German werfen,Old Norse verpa,Gothic wairpan; (noun) Middle English warpe,Old English wearp; cognate with German Warf,Old Norse varp

OTHER WORDS FROM warp

warpage, nounun·warp·ing, adjective

Words nearby warp

War of the Austrian Succession, War of the Grand Alliance, War of the Rebellion, War of the Spanish Succession, War on Poverty, warp, war paint, warp and woof, war party, warpath, warp beam

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

How to use warp in a sentence

Until someone invents warp drive or the like, there is no way to overcome the obstacle of time.
The Planets with the Giant Diamonds Inside - Issue 102: Hidden Truths|Corey S. Powell|July 7, 2021|Nautilus
“This means we’re not talking about a rapidly or aggressively expanding species, and there’s no warp drive or anything,” Wright told Gizmodo.
Fermi Paradox: Here’s What an Alien Civilization Settling the Galaxy Looks Like|Jason Dorrier|June 27, 2021|Singularity Hub
This might not sound like much of a discovery, but until now it was unclear what warp drives might be, physically speaking.
New Warp Drive Research Dashes Faster-Than-Light Travel Dreams—but Reveals Stranger Possibilities|Sam Baron|April 18, 2021|Singularity Hub
Their work tells us that a warp drive is, somewhat surprisingly, like a car.
New Warp Drive Research Dashes Faster-Than-Light Travel Dreams—but Reveals Stranger Possibilities|Sam Baron|April 18, 2021|Singularity Hub

This gives us a mathematical key for finding and classifying warp technologies.
New Warp Drive Research Dashes Faster-Than-Light Travel Dreams—but Reveals Stranger Possibilities|Sam Baron|April 18, 2021|Singularity Hub
But the thugs are numerous enough to be part of the warp and woof of the community.
The War on Drugs Is What Makes Thugs|John McWhorter|August 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, now we have a political science case-study proving how political fortunes can shift and change at warp speed.
Should Christie Resign from the Republican Governors Association?|Myra Adams|January 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
WHERE TO EAT: For lunch, enter the time warp that is Crown Candy Kitchen (don't pass on the sundaes).
Get Cultured on Your Weekend Getaway: Best Trips for Art Lovers|Condé Nast Traveler|January 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No throwback eyeglasses or filters on my photos to give the impression of a time warp.
Famous for Not Being Famous: Enough About ‘Stoner’|Drew Smith|October 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
One of my favorite moments in that film was when Spock mends the warp core and Captain Kirk goes down to see him.
Simon Pegg on His First ‘Star Trek’ Memories, Playing Scotty, and More|Simon Pegg|May 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Politeness, being based upon real kindness of heart, cannot exist where there is selfishness or brutality to warp its growth.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
And yet, not that alone, for the warp and woof of history are made up of innumerable threads.
The Boys of '61|Charles Carleton Coffin.
And now, waiting for the ship to warp into its pier, she realized what a fatal mistake her reticence had been.
The Adventures of Kathlyn|Harold MacGrath
But we can't control the directional and dimensional scope of the warp.
Circus|Alan Edward Nourse
When the warp principle was discovered, it looked like the answer.
Circus|Alan Edward Nourse

British Dictionary definitions for warp

warp

/ (wɔːp) /

verb

to twist or cause to twist out of shape, as from heat, damp, etc

to turn or cause to turn from a true, correct, or proper course

to pervert or be perverted

(tr) to prepare (yarn) as a warp

nautical to move (a vessel) by hauling on a rope fixed to a stationary object ashore or (of a vessel) to be moved thus

(tr) (formerly) to curve or twist (an aircraft wing) in order to assist control in flight

(tr) to flood (land) with water from which alluvial matter is deposited

noun

the state or condition of being twisted out of shape

a twist, distortion, or bias

a mental or moral deviation

the yarns arranged lengthways on a loom, forming the threads through which the weft yarns are woven

the heavy threads used to reinforce the rubber in the casing of a pneumatic tyre

nautical a rope used for warping a vessel

alluvial sediment deposited by water

Derived forms of warp

warpage, nounwarped, adjectivewarper, noun

Word Origin for warp

Old English wearp a throw; related to Old High German warf, Old Norse varp throw of a dragging net, Old English weorpan to throw

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with warp

warp

In addition to the idiom beginning with warp

warp and woof

also see:

time warp

warp

OTHER WORDS FOR warp

OPPOSITES FOR warp

Origin of warp

OTHER WORDS FROM warp

Words nearby warp

Words related to warp

How to use warp in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for warp

Derived forms of warp

Word Origin for warp

Other Idioms and Phrases with warp