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; incline: 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

First recorded before 900; (verb) 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

warp·age, nounun·warp·ing, adjective

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

How to use warp in a sentence

In a sheet, threads are woven into vertical strands referred to as the warp weave and horizontal strands referred to as the weft weave.
Best sheets: Choose the right bed linens for a good night’s sleep|Carsen Joenk|December 18, 2020|Popular-Science
"It might be," said Shorty, with visions of distributing hardtack to the hungry boys warping his judgment.
Si Klegg, Book 2 (of 6)|John McElroy
Great beams ran through, called "warping bars," where the various warp threads were measured and cut for the loom.
That Old-Time Child, Roberta|Sophie Fox Sea
There was no way of effecting this passage, except by towing or warping the vessels; and this rendered the attempt impracticable.
The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson|Robert Southey

His claws were buried in her neck at the first dash; and his long body covered hers—his hind-legs and tail warping around her.
The Desert Home|Mayne Reid
The second was the ingenious wing-warping device, for securing stability.
The Romance of Aircraft|Lawrence Yard Smith

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 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