contortionist

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/kənˈtɔː(ɹ)ʃənɪst/

noun

An acrobat who is capable of twisting their body into unusual positions.

OriginEnglish contortion ← Middle French contortion ← Latin contortiō →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nouncontortionist (plural contortionists)

plural contortionists

  1. An acrobat who is capable of twisting their body into unusual positions.
  2. One who twists words and phrases.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Latincon-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*terkʷ-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*torkʷ-éye-ti
  8. Proto-Italic*torkʷejō
  9. Proto-Italic*torkʷeō
  10. Latintorqueō
  11. Latincontorqueō
  12. Latincontortus
  13. Latincontortiō
  14. Middle Frenchcontortion
  15. Englishcontortion
  16. Englishcontortionist

From contortion + -ist.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans slangmens, lyfvlegter
  • slangmensacrobat
  • lyfvlegteracrobat
Catalan contorsionista
  • contorsionistaacrobat
Chinese Mandarin 柔術演員 /柔术演员
  • 柔術演員 /柔术演员 (róushù yǎnyuán)acrobat
Czech hadí žena, hadí muž
  • hadí ženaacrobat
  • hadí mužacrobat
Danish slangemenneske
  • slangemenneskeacrobat
Dutch slangenmens, contorsionist
  • slangenmensacrobat
  • contorsionistacrobat
  • contorsionisteacrobat
Finnish käärmeihminen
  • käärmeihminenacrobat
French contorsionniste
  • contorsionnisteacrobat
German Schlangenmensch, Kontorsionist
  • Schlangenmenschacrobat
  • Kontorsionistacrobat
Hungarian kígyóember, gumiember
  • kígyóemberacrobat
  • gumiemberacrobat
Italian contorsionista, uomo ragno
  • contorsionistaacrobat
  • uomo ragnoacrobat
Polish kontorsjonista, kontorsjonistka
  • kontorsjonistaacrobat
  • kontorsjonistkaacrobat
Portuguese contorcionista
  • contorcionistaacrobat
Romanian contorsionist
  • contorsionistacrobat
Russian челове́к-змея́, конторсиони́ст
  • челове́к-змея́ (čelovék-zmejá)acrobat
  • конторсиони́ст (kontorsioníst)acrobat
  • конторсиони́стка (kontorsionístka)acrobat
Spanish contorsionista
  • contorsionistaacrobat
Swedish ormmänniska
  • ormmänniskaacrobat
Tagalog kontorsiyonista
  • kontorsiyonistaacrobat
Cite this entry
APA

contortionist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contortionist

MLA

“contortionist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contortionist. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contortionist,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contortionist.

Source: contortionist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.