Hypertext Webster Gateway: "distortion"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Distortion \Dis*tor"tion\, n. [L. distortio: cf. F. distortion.]
1. 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.
2. A wresting from the true meaning. --Bp. Wren.
3. The state of being distorted, or twisted out of shape or
out of true position; crookedness; perversion.
4. (Med.) An unnatural deviation of shape or position of any
part of the body producing visible deformity.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
distortion
n 1: a change for the worse [syn: {deformation}]
2: a shape resulting from distortion [syn: {distorted shape}]
3: an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens
or mirror to produce a good image [syn: {aberration}, {optical
aberration}]
4: the act of distorting something so it seems to mean
something it was not intended to mean [syn: {overrefinement},
{straining}, {torture}, {twisting}]
5: the mistake of misrepresenting the facts
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