1. contortion(n = noun.act) deformation - the act of twisting or deforming the shape of something (e.g., yourself);
is a kind of change of shape
Derived forms verb contort1, noun contortionist1
2. contortion(n = noun.shape) crookedness, torsion, tortuosity, tortuousness - a tortuous and twisted shape or position; "they built a tree house in the tortuosities of its boughs"; "the acrobat performed incredible contortions"
is a kind of distorted shape, distortion
Derived forms verb contort1, noun contortionist1
A twisting; a writhing; wry motion; a twist; as, the contortion of the muscles of the face. Swift. [1913 Webster]
"All the contortions of the sibyl, without the inspiration." [1913 Webster]
contortion, n.
1 the act or process of twisting.
2 a twisted state, esp. of the face or body.
Etymology:
L contortio (as CONTORT)
N distortion, detortion, contortion, twist, crookedness, grimace, deformity, malformation, malconformation, harelip, monstrosity, misproportion, want of symmetry, anamorphosis, ugliness, talipes, teratology, asymmetry, irregularity, distorted, out of shape, irregular, asymmetric, unsymmetric, awry, wry, askew, crooked, not true, not straight, on one side, crump, deformed, harelipped, misshapen, misbegotten, misproportioned, ill proportioned, ill-made, grotesque, monstrous, crooked as a ram's horn, camel backed, hump backed, hunch backed, bunch backed, crook backed, bandy, bandy legged, bow legged, bow kneed, knock kneed, splay footed, club footed, round shouldered, snub nosed, curtailed of one's fair proportions, stumpy, gaunt, bloated, scalene, simous, taliped, talipedic, all manner of ways, crooked as a Virginia fence.