Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Warp?

\Warp\, v. t. (A["e]ronautics) To twist the end surfaces of (an a["e]rocurve in an a["e]roplane) in order to restore or maintain equilibrium.
\Warp\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warped}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Warping}.] [OE. warpen; fr. Icel. varpa to throw, cast, varp a casting, fr. verpa to throw; akin to Dan. varpe to warp a ship, Sw. varpa, AS. weorpan to cast, OS. werpan, OFries. werpa, D. & LG. werpen, G. werfen, Goth. wa['i]rpan; cf. Skr. vrj to twist. ????. Cf. {Wrap}.] 1. To throw; hence, to send forth, or throw out, as words; to utter. [Obs.] --Piers Plowman. 2. To turn or twist out of shape; esp., to twist or bend out of a flat plane by contraction or otherwise. The planks looked warped. --Coleridge. Walter warped his mouth at this To something so mock solemn, that I laughed. --Tennyson. 3. To turn aside from the true direction; to cause to bend or incline; to pervert. This first avowed, nor folly warped my mind. --Dryden. I have no private considerations to warp me in this controversy. --Addison. We are divested of all those passions which cloud the intellects, and warp the understandings, of men. --Southey. 4. To weave; to fabricate. [R. & Poetic.] --Nares. While doth he mischief warp. --Sternhold. 5. (Naut.) To tow or move, as a vessel, with a line, or warp, attached to a buoy, anchor, or other fixed object. 6. To cast prematurely, as young; -- said of cattle, sheep, etc. [Prov. Eng.] 7. (Agric.) To let the tide or other water in upon (lowlying land), for the purpose of fertilization, by a deposit of warp, or slimy substance. [Prov. Eng.] 8. (Rope Making) To run off the reel into hauls to be tarred, as yarns. 9. (Weaving) To arrange (yarns) on a warp beam. {Warped surface} (Geom.), a surface generated by a straight line moving so that no two of its consecutive positions shall be in the same plane. --Davies & Peck.
\Warp\, v. i. 1. To turn, twist, or be twisted out of shape; esp., to be twisted or bent out of a flat plane; as, a board warps in seasoning or shrinking. One of you will prove a shrunk panel, and, like green timber, warp, warp. --Shak. They clamp one piece of wood to the end of another, to keep it from casting, or warping. --Moxon. 2. to turn or incline from a straight, true, or proper course; to deviate; to swerve. There is our commission, From which we would not have you warp. --Shak. 3. To fly with a bending or waving motion; to turn and wave, like a flock of birds or insects. A pitchy cloud Of locusts, warping on the eastern wind. --Milton. 4. To cast the young prematurely; to slink; -- said of cattle, sheep, etc. [Prov. Eng.] 5. (Weaving) To wind yarn off bobbins for forming the warp of a web; to wind a warp on a warp beam.
\Warp\, n. [AS. wearp; akin to Icel. varp a casting, throwing, Sw. varp the draught of a net, Dan. varp a towline, OHG. warf warp, G. werft. See {Warp}, v.] 1. (Weaving) The threads which are extended lengthwise in the loom, and crossed by the woof. 2. (Naut.) A rope used in hauling or moving a vessel, usually with one end attached to an anchor, a post, or other fixed object; a towing line; a warping hawser. 3. (Agric.) A slimy substance deposited on land by tides, etc., by which a rich alluvial soil is formed. --Lyell. 4. A premature casting of young; -- said of cattle, sheep, etc. [Prov. Eng.] 5. Four; esp., four herrings; a cast. See {Cast}, n., 17. [Prov. Eng.] --Wright. 6. [From {Warp}, v.] The state of being warped or twisted; as, the warp of a board. {Warp beam}, the roller on which the warp is wound in a loom. {Warp fabric}, fabric produced by warp knitting. {Warp frame}, or {Warp-net frame}, a machine for making warp lace having a number of needles and employing a thread for each needle. {Warp knitting}, a kind of knitting in which a number of threads are interchained each with one or more contiguous threads on either side; -- also called {warp weaving}. {Warp lace}, or {Warp net}, lace having a warp crossed by weft threads.