Torsion
/ˈtɔːr.ʒən/noun
The act or condition of twisting, especially the twisting of an object under force.
Did you know?Torsion comes from Latin torsio, meaning “a twisting,” from torquēre, “to twist,” the same root that gave English torque, torture, and distort—words built around force, strain, and bending.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*terkʷ-
“to twist, turn”
Latin
Latin
torquēre
“to twist, turn, wrench”
Latin
Latin
torsiō
“a twisting, twisting motion”
Old French
Old French
torsion
“twisting, a twist”
Middle English
English
torsion
“twisting or the state of being twisted”
Modern English
English
torsion
“the act or condition of twisting, especially under applied force”