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One who tortures; a tormentor.

So as to torture. Beau. & Fl.

Involving, or pertaining to, torture. [R.] "The torturous crucifixion." I. Disraeli.

Wrested away. [Obs.] Bailey.

An herbaceous plant of the genus Polygonum, section Bistorta; snakeweed; adderwort. Its root is used in medicine as an astringent.

To twist, or twist together; to turn awry; to bend; to distort; to wrest. The vertebral arteries are variously contorted. Ray. Kant contorted the term category from the proper meaning of attributed. Sir W. Hamilton.

Twisted, or twisted together. "A contorted chain of icicles." Massinger.

A twisting; a writhing; wry motion; a twist; as, the contortion of the muscles of the face. Swift. All the contortions of the sibyl, without the inspiration. Burke.

One who makes or practices contortions.

Expressing contortion.

Plaited lengthwise and twisted in addition, as the bud of the morning-glory. Gray.

To turn form the original or plain meaning; to pervert; to wrest. Hammond.

The act of detorting, or the state of being detorted; a twisting or warping.

Distorted; misshapen. [Obs.] Her face was ugly and her mouth distort. Spenser.

One who, or that which, distorts.

The act of distorting, or twisting out of natural or regular shape; a twisting or writhing motion; as, the distortions of the face or body.

Causing distortion.

A turning into a circle; round figures. [Obs.] Donne.

To wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of…

One who practices extortion.