Twist vs. Jerk — What's the Difference?

To wind together (two or more threads, for example) so as to produce a single strand.

To give a sudden quick thrust, push, pull, or twist to.

To form in this manner

To throw or toss with a quick abrupt motion.

To wind or coil (vines or rope, for example) about something.

To utter abruptly or sharply

To interlock or interlace

To make and serve (ice-cream sodas, for example) at a soda fountain.

To make (one's way) in a tortuous manner

(Sports) To press (a weight) overhead from shoulder height in a quick motion.

To cause to rotate or turn in another direction

To move in sudden abrupt motions; jolt

To impart a spiral or coiling shape to, as by turning the ends in opposite directions

To make spasmodic motions

To turn or open by turning

To cut (meat) into long strips and dry in the sun or cure by exposing to smoke.

To pull, break, or snap by turning

A sudden abrupt motion, such as a yank or twist.

To wrench or sprain

A jolting or lurching motion.

To alter the normal aspect of; contort

(Physiology) A sudden reflexive or spasmodic muscular movement.

To alter or distort the intended meaning of

Jerks Involuntary convulsive twitching often resulting from excitement. Often used with the.

To alter or distort the mental, moral, or emotional character of

(Slang) A foolish, rude, or contemptible person.

To be or become twisted.

(Sports) A lift in which the weight is heaved overhead from shoulder height with a quick motion.

To move or progress in a winding course; meander

Being or relating to a method of barbecuing meat that has been seasoned and wrapped in leaves of the allspice tree

To squirm; writhe

A sudden, often uncontrolled movement, especially of the body.

To rotate or turn in another direction

A quick, often unpleasant tug or shake.

To dance the twist.

A person with unlikable or obnoxious qualities and behavior, typically mean, self-centered, or disagreeable.

A length of yarn, cord, or thread, especially a strong silk thread used mainly to bind the edges of buttonholes.

A dull or stupid person.

Tobacco leaves processed into the form of a rope or roll.

The rate of change in acceleration with respect to time.

A loaf of bread or other bakery product made from pieces of dough twisted together.

(obsolete) A soda jerk.

A sliver of citrus peel twisted over or dropped into a beverage for flavoring.

(weightlifting) A lift in which the weight is taken with a quick motion from shoulder height to a position above the head with arms fully extended and held there for a brief time.

A spin, twirl, or rotation.

A rich, spicy Jamaican marinade.

A complete rotation of the body around its vertical axis, as in diving and gymnastics.

Meat (or sometimes vegetables) cured by jerking, in which it is coated in spices and slow-cooked over a fire or grill traditionally composed of green pimento wood positioned over burning coals; charqui.

A spinning motion given to a ball when thrown or struck in a specific way.

(intransitive) To make a sudden uncontrolled movement.

The state of being twisted into a spiral; torsional stress or strain.

(transitive) To give a quick, often unpleasant tug or shake.

The degree or angle of torsional stress.

To masturbate.

A contortion or distortion of the body, especially the face.

(obsolete) To beat, to hit.

A distortion of meaning

(obsolete) To throw with a quick and suddenly arrested motion of the hand.

A sprain or wrench, as of an ankle.

To lift using a jerk.

A change in direction; a turn

(obsolete) To flout with contempt.

An unexpected change in a process or a departure from a pattern, often producing a distortion or perversion

To cure (meat) by cutting it into strips and drying it, originally in the sun.

A personal inclination or eccentricity; a penchant or flaw

To cut into long slices or strips and dry in the sun; as, to jerk beef. See Charqui.

A dance characterized by vigorous gyrations of the hips and arms.

To beat; to strike.

A twisting force.

To give a quick and suddenly arrested thrust, push, pull, or twist, to; to yerk; as, to jerk one with the elbow; to jerk a coat off.

Anything twisted, or the act of twisting.

To throw with a quick and suddenly arrested motion of the hand; as, to jerk a stone.

The form given in twisting.

To make a sudden motion; to move with a start, or by starts.

The degree of stress or strain when twisted.

To flout with contempt.

A type of thread made from two filaments twisted together.

A short, sudden pull, thrust, push, twitch, jolt, shake, or similar motion.

A sliver of lemon peel added to a cocktail, etc.

A sudden start or spring.

A sudden bend (or short series of bends) in a road, path, etc.

Calisthenic exercises, such as push-ups or deep knee bends; also called physical jerks.

A distortion to the meaning of a word or passage.

A foolish, stupid, or otherwise contemptible person.

An unexpected turn in a story, tale, etc.

The lifting of a weight, in a single rapid motion, from shoulder height until the arms are outstretched above the head; distinguished from press in that the motion in a jerk is more rapid, and the body may be moved under the weight to assist completion of the movement; as, a clean and jerk of two hundred pounds.

(preceded by definite article) A type of dance characterised by rotating one’s hips. See Twist (dance) on Wikipedia for more details.

A dull stupid fatuous person

A rotation of the body when diving.

An abrupt spasmodic movement

A sprain, especially to the ankle.

(mechanics) the rate of change of velocity

(obsolete) A twig.

A sudden abrupt pull

(slang) A girl, a woman.

Pull, or move with a sudden movement;

A roll or baton of baked dough or pastry in a twisted shape.

Move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions;

A small roll of tobacco.

Make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion;

A material for gun barrels, consisting of iron and steel twisted and welded together.

Jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched;

The spiral course of the rifling of a gun barrel or a cannon.

Throw or toss with a quick motion;

A beverage made of brandy and gin.

A strong individual tendency or bent; inclination.

An appetite for food.

To turn the ends of something, usually thread, rope etc., in opposite directions, often using force.

To join together by twining one part around another.

To contort; to writhe; to complicate; to crook spirally; to convolve.

To wreathe; to wind; to encircle; to unite by intertexture of parts.

(reflexive) To wind into; to insinuate.

To turn a knob etc.

To distort or change the truth or meaning of words when repeating.

To form a twist (in any of the above noun meanings).

To injure (a body part) by bending it in the wrong direction.

To wind; to follow a bendy or wavy course; to have many bends.

(transitive) To cause to rotate.

(intransitive) To dance the twist (a type of dance characterised by twisting one's hips).

(transitive) To coax.

(card games) In the game of blackjack (pontoon or twenty-one), to be dealt another card.

To contort; to writhe; to complicate; to crook spirally; to convolve.

Hence, to turn from the true form or meaning; to pervert; as, to twist a passage cited from an author.

To distort, as a solid body, by turning one part relatively to another about an axis passing through both; to subject to torsion; as, to twist a shaft.

To wreathe; to wind; to encircle; to unite by intertexture of parts.

To wind into; to insinuate; - used reflexively; as, avarice twists itself into all human concerns.

To unite by winding one thread, strand, or other flexible substance, round another; to form by convolution, or winding separate things round each other; as, to twist yarn or thread.

Hence, to form as if by winding one part around another; to wreathe; to make up.

To form into a thread from many fine filaments; as, to twist wool or cotton.

To be contorted; to writhe; to be distorted by torsion; to be united by winding round each other; to be or become twisted; as, some strands will twist more easily than others.

To follow a helical or spiral course; to be in the form of a helix.

The act of twisting; a contortion; a flexure; a convolution; a bending.

The form given in twisting.

That which is formed by twisting, convoluting, or uniting parts.

A cord, thread, or anything flexible, formed by winding strands or separate things round each other.

A twig.

A kind of closely twisted, strong sewing silk, used by tailors, saddlers, and the like.

Act of imparting a turning or twisting motion, as to a pitched ball; also, the motion thus imparted; as, the twist of a billiard ball.

A kind of cotton yarn, of several varieties.

A strong individual tendency, or bent; a marked inclination; a bias; - often implying a peculiar or unusual tendency; as, a twist toward fanaticism.

A roll of twisted dough, baked.

A little twisted roll of tobacco.

One of the threads of a warp, - usually more tightly twisted than the filling.

A material for gun barrels, consisting of iron and steel twisted and welded together; as, Damascus twist.

The spiral course of the rifling of a gun barrel or a cannon.

A beverage made of brandy and gin.

An unforeseen development;

An interpretation of a text or action;

Any clever (deceptive) maneuver;

The act of rotating rapidly;

A sharp strain on muscles or ligaments;

A sharp bend in a line produced when a line having a loop is pulled tight

A miniature whirlpool or whirlwind resulting when the current of a fluid doubles back on itself

A jerky pulling movement

A hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair

Social dancing in which couples vigorously twist their hips and arms in time to the music; was popular in the 1960s;

The act of winding or twisting;

Turning or twisting around (in place);

To move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling);

Cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form;

Turn in the opposite direction;

Form into a spiral shape;

Form into twists;

Do the twist

Twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates;

Practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive

Twist suddenly so as to sprain;