WARP | English Meaning, Definition, and Pronunciation

Old English weorpan (verb), wearp (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch werpen and German werfen ‘to throw’. Early verb senses included ‘throw’ and ‘hit with a missile’; the sense ‘bend’ dates from late Middle English. The noun was originally a term in weaving (see warp (sense 2 of the noun))

make or become bent or twisted out of shape, typically as a result of the effects of heat or damp

make or become bent or twisted out of shape

• moisture had warped the box
• wood has a tendency to warp

(with reference to a ship) move or be moved along by hauling on a rope attached to a stationary object ashore

(of ship) move or be moved along by hauling on rope attached to stationary object ashore

• crew and passengers helped warp the vessels through the shallow section

(in weaving) arrange (yarn) so as to form the warp of a piece of cloth

(in weaving) arrange yarn so as to form warp of piece of cloth

• cotton string will be warped on the loom in the rug-weaving process

cover (land) with a deposit of alluvial soil by natural or artificial flooding

cover land with deposit of alluvial soil by natural or artificial flooding

• the main canal may be cut so as to warp the lands on each side of it

a twist or distortion in the shape of something

twist or distortion in shape of something

• the head of the racket had a curious warp

(in weaving) the threads on a loom over and under which other threads (the weft) are passed to make cloth

(in weaving) threads on loom over and under which other threads weft are passed to make cloth

• the warp and weft are the basic constituents of all textiles
• rugby is woven into the warp and weft of South African society

a rope attached at one end to a fixed point and used for moving or mooring a ship.

rope attached at one end to fixed point and used for moving or mooring ship

alluvial sediment; silt

alluvial sediment

• the warp or muddy deposit dug from an old riverbed