Literary notes about Distort (AI summary)
In literature, "distort" is employed to convey the idea of bending or perverting something from its original form, whether physical, conceptual, or moral. It appears in classical texts to denote the literal twisting of a shape or face ([1], [2]), while in philosophical and political discourse the term criticizes the manipulation of truth or memory, warping facts to suit particular agendas ([3], [4], [5], [6]). Authors also use it metaphorically to describe how language and imagery can be reshaped, thereby altering meaning or intent ([7], [8], [9]). In technical writing, the word captures subtle changes in form or effect, such as the alteration of waveforms or the misalignment of structures ([10], [11], [12]). This dual capacity to denote both material and abstract transformations makes "distort" a dynamic term in literature, capable of critiquing both concrete and symbolic deformations.
- διέστραμμαι, to distort, turn awry; met.
— from A Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament by William Greenfield - Στρεβλόω, ῶ, (στρεβλή, a windlass, a wrench, instrument of torture, rack) f. ώσω, 174 pr. to distort the limbs on a rack; met.
— from A Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament by William Greenfield - Through vagueness of [Pg 130] meaning we misunderstand other people, things, and ourselves; through its ambiguity we distort and pervert.
— from How We Think by John Dewey - A power to punish crimes unspecified by law is a power above law, and ignorance or corruption may easily distort innocence itself into crime.
— from Athens: Its Rise and Fall, Book II by Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron - We see in our own times how despotic governments can mystify their subjects, and distort contemporary history into what shape they please.
— from Anahuac : or, Mexico and the Mexicans, Ancient and Modern by Edward B. (Edward Burnett) Tylor - Depraue , v. to slander, depreciate, W2, PP.—Lat. deprauare , to distort.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - And yet, in spite of this, or precisely on that account, no one was ever better able to distort trifles into nuclei of doubt.
— from Eden: An Episode by Edgar Saltus - Note instances where her figures of speech sharpen the imagery and others where they seem to distort it.
— from Contemporary American LiteratureBibliographies and Study Outlines by John Matthews Manly - “They pounce on the idea, and distort it, and then work it out so pettily and unworthily.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - If the underside of the base is not quite correctly curved, take care not to force in the screws far enough to distort the barrel.
— from Things To Make by Archibald Williams - Curved surfaces, as Cavaillé-Coll, who was an expert in this matter, once told me, distort sound as curved mirrors distort images.
— from Musical Memories by Camille Saint-Saëns - All physical materials can be loaded or stressed to a certain point beyond which they distort, snap, fracture, or break.
— from When You Don't Know Where to TurnA Self-Diagnosing Guide to Counseling and Therapy by Steven J. Bartlett
