tor·ti·col·lis (tôr?t?-k?l??s)n. A contracted state of the neck muscles that causes the neck to rotate and tilt sideways, forwards, or backwards. Also called wryneck.[New Latin : Latin tortus, twisted, past participle of torqu?re, to twist; see terkw- in Indo-European roots + collum, neck; see kwel- in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.torticollis (?t??t??k?l?s) n (Pathology) pathol an abnormal position of the head, usually with the neck bent to one side, caused congenitally by contracture of muscles, muscular spasm, etc[C19: New Latin, from Latin tortus twisted (from torqu?re to twist) + collum neck] ?torti?collar adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014tor?ti?col?lis (?t?r t??k?l ?s) n. a condition in which the neck is twisted and the head inclined to one side, caused by spasmodic contraction of the muscles of the neck. Also called wryneck. [1805?15;