kink

/kɪŋk/

/kɪnk/

Other forms: kinks; kinked; kinking

A kink is a bend or a twist in an otherwise straight line, like a kink in a garden hose that blocks water from flowing freely.

When something kinks, it bends to form a kink or curl — if your hair kinks in the rain, it gets tightly curly. You can also have a kink in your neck, a tight muscle that cramps painfully. Yet another kind of kink is a problem, complication, or weakness in a plan: "The major kink in her plan turned out to be that no one was interested in buying hand-knitted cat sweaters."

Definitions of kink

1. noun

   a sharp bend in a line produced when a line having a loop is pulled tight
   synonyms: twirl, twist

   type of:

   bend, crease, crimp, flexure, fold, plication

   an angular or rounded shape made by folding
2. verb

   curl tightly
   synonyms: crape, crimp, frizz, frizzle, kink up

   type of:

   curl, wave

   twist or roll into coils or ringlets
3. verb

   form a curl, curve, or kink
   synonyms: curl, curve

   type of:

   change surface

   undergo or cause to undergo a change in the surface
4. noun

   a painful muscle spasm especially in the neck or back (`rick' and `wrick' are British)
   synonyms: crick, rick, wrick

   type of:

   cramp, muscle spasm, spasm

   a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
5. noun

   a difficulty or flaw in a plan or operation
   “there are still a few kinks to iron out”

   type of:

   difficulty

   a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result
6. noun

   an eccentric idea
   type of:

   idea, thought

   the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
7. noun

   a person with unusual sexual tastes
   type of:

   individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul

   a human being