Perversion, distortion, or deflection of the meaning, interpretation, or application; misinterpretation; an instance of this.

Change of language, a text, word, etc. from its correct or original condition to one of incorrectness, deterioration, etc.

An urging or pressing too far, laying undue stress upon; wresting or distortion of meaning, forced construction or interpretion.

spec. The action of straining, distorting, or perverting the meaning of something; the twisting of a person's words. Also: an instance of this. Cf…

The mangling or mixing up of words or meaning when speaking. Cf. hack, v.1 1d.

Improper treatment or use of a word or text; misinterpretation; misapplication; alteration of meaning or intention. Also: an instance of this.

figurative. Extending (the intellect, the understanding, etc.), or straining (meaning, credulity, etc.); an instance of this.

The action of wresting or perverting. Obsolete.

Perversion; = wresting, n. 2 ? Obsolete.

The action of wresting, forcing, or straining the meaning or purport of words, etc.; an instance of this. Obsolete.

The action of ‘detorting’; twisting, wresting, perversion of meaning. Now rare or Obsolete.

Change from the original purport or signification; a strained or wrested meaning; a forced or false interpretation. (Cf. wrest, n.1 3.)

transferred and figurative with various allusions: Severe pressure; violent perversion or ‘wresting’; violent action or operation; severe testing…

the action of subjecting someone or something to violence; an instance of this.

figurative. The mediation, alteration, or distortion of something, usually something pure or absolute, arising from the medium of expression…

Misunderstanding or misinterpretation of a word: an instance of this.

figurative. The twisting or perversion of words so as to give to them a different sense; perversion of opinions, facts, history, so as to misapply…

= distorting n. adj., distortion, n.

The misunderstanding or misinterpretation of a word.

The action of torture, v.; infliction of torture; tormenting; figurative wresting, perversion.

The action of destroying or perverting a word's sense or meaning. Also: the destruction or elimination of a word.

In immaterial sense: A stretching or straining something beyond its proper limits. An undue extension of scope or application. stretch of language…

Wringing, screwing; spiral turning; contortion, distortion; figurative perversion or wresting of sense; slang, a scolding; a trouncing.

Aptness to distort or to falsify matters.