Final answer:
To "wrinkle" or "tesser" means to manipulate the fourth dimension, which is often recognized as time in the space-time continuum. This term is commonly found in science fiction, particularly associated with space-time travel.
Step-by-step explanation:
To "wrinkle" or "tesser" refers to a concept in science fiction that involves bending or folding space-time to achieve fast travel between two points in space, which is connected with the concept of the fourth dimension. While the third dimension is what we observe in our daily lives with three-dimensional objects having length, width, and height, the fourth dimension is often recognized in theoretical physics as time in the space-time continuum. The term "tesser" originates from Madeleine L'Engle's novel "A Wrinkle in Time," where characters use this method to travel vast distances instantaneously, which is a fictional representation of utilizing the fourth dimension in the context of space-time.
While theoretical physics, including string theory, suggests the existence of more than four dimensions, within the context of this question—and in general science fiction—the act of "wrinkling" space-time to travel refers to manipulation within the space-time continuum, which is the combination of the three spatial dimensions and the one temporal dimension.