flexure

flexure
    n 1: the state of being flexed (as of a joint) [syn: {flexure},
         {flection}, {flexion}]
    2: an angular or rounded shape made by folding; "a fold in the
       napkin"; "a crease in his trousers"; "a plication on her
       blouse"; "a flexure of the colon"; "a bend of his elbow"
       [syn: {fold}, {crease}, {plication}, {flexure}, {crimp},
       {bend}]
    3: act of bending a joint; especially a joint between the bones
       of a limb so that the angle between them is decreased [syn:
       {flexion}, {flexure}] [ant: {extension}]
    

Flexure \Flex"ure\ (?; 135), n. [L. flexura.]
   1. The act of flexing or bending; a turning or curving;
      flexion; hence, obsequious bowing or bending.
      [1913 Webster]

            Will it give place to flexure and low bending?
                                                  --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A turn; a bend; a fold; a curve.
      [1913 Webster]

            Varying with the flexures of the valley through
            which it meandered.                   --British
                                                  Quart. Rev.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Zool.) The last joint, or bend, of the wing of a bird.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Astron.) The small distortion of an astronomical
      instrument caused by the weight of its parts; the amount
      to be added or substracted from the observed readings of
      the instrument to correct them for this distortion.
      [1913 Webster]

   {The flexure of a curve} (Math.), the bending of a curve
      towards or from a straight line.
      [1913 Webster]
    

58 Moby Thesaurus words for "flexure":
      S-curve, angle, angularity, angularness, bend, bending, bow,
      bowing, conflexure, crease, creasing, crimp, crookedness,
      deflection, deflexure, diffraction, diffusion, dispersion,
      distortion, dog-ear, double, doubling, duplicature, flection, flex,
      flounce, fold, frill, gather, geanticline, geosyncline,
      hairpin turn, hookedness, inflection, lapel, lappet, meander,
      orthogonality, oxbow, plica, plication, plicature, ply,
      rectangularity, reflection, refraction, right-angledness,
      right-angularity, ruche, ruching, ruffle, scatter, skewness, sweep,
      torsion, tuck, turn, turning