1. (2) distortion, deformation -- (a change for the worse)
2. (1) distorted shape, distortion -- (a shape resulting from distortion)
3. (1) aberration, distortion, optical aberration -- (an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image)
4. distortion -- (a change (usually undesired) in the waveform of an acoustic or analog electrical signal; the difference between two measurements of a signal (as between the input and output signal); ....heavy metal guitar players use vacuum tube amplifiers to produce extreme distortion'' )
5. distortion, overrefinement, straining, torture, twisting -- (the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean)
6. distortion -- (the mistake of misrepresenting the facts)