12 April 2017
torsion
[tawr-shuh n]
noun
1. the act of twisting.
2. the state of being twisted.
3. Mechanics.
the twisting of a body by two equal and opposite torques.
the internal torque so produced.
4. Mathematics.
the degree of departure of a curve from a plane.
a number measuring this.
Origin of torsion
late Middle English Old French Late Latin
1375-1425; 1535-45 for def 1; late Middle English torcion wringing one’s bowels < Old French torsion < Late Latin torsiōn- (stem of torsiō) torment, equivalent to tors (us) twisted (see torse ) + -iōn- -ion
Related forms
torsional, adjective
torsionally, adverb
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for torsion
Historical Examples
Coulomb was the maker of the first instrument for measuring a current, which was known as the torsion balance.
Steam Steel and Electricity
James W. Steele
In the b-position, on the other hand, the torsion is against the hands of a clock.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919
Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose
The torsion rod mirror reflected a distant scale by which the deflection could be read.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4
Various
Even if it is only halved, the torsion is reduced sixteenfold.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, September
Anagram
in torso
sin root
son riot
Today’s quote
Crocodiles are easy. They try to kill and eat you. People are harder. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend first.
– Steve Irwin
On this day
12 April 1961 – Uri Gagarin (Russian) becomes the first man in space.
12 April 1989 – death of Sugar Ray Robinson (Walker Smith Jr), American welterweight and middleweight professional boxing champion, declared to be the greatest boxer of all time. Sugar Ray stood at 5′ 11″ (1.80m). He fought 200 fights, winning 173 (108 by knock-out), lost 19, drew six, with two no contests. By 1946 Sugar Ray had won 40 fights straight, but was denied a shot at the world welterweight championship because he refused to cooperate with the mafia, which controlled much of boxing. In December 1946, he was finally allowed to contest the world championship and won. In 1947 Sugar Ray defended his welterweight title against Jimmy Doyle. In the eighth round, Doyle was knocked out and died later that night. Sugar Ray crossed weight classes and also won the world middleweight championship. In 1950, he broke the record for the shortest fight by knocking out Jose Basora 50 seconds into the first round. The record wasn’t broken for a further 38 years. in 1951, he fought Jake La Motta in what became known as the St Valentine’s Day massacre after the fight was stopped in the 13th round when La Motta was out on his feet, unable to even lift his arms throw a punch. That fight and some of the other matches with La Motta were adapted for the Martin Scorsese movie, Raging Bull. Born 3 May 1921.