Wrench

Wrench Wrench (r[e^]nch), n. [OE. wrench deceit, AS. wrenc deceit, a twisting; akin to G. rank intrigue, crookedness, renken to bend, twist, and E. wring. [root]144. See {Wring}, and cf. {Ranch}, v. t.] [1913 Webster] 1. Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

His wily wrenches thou ne mayst not flee. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

2. A violent twist, or a pull with twisting. [1913 Webster]

He wringeth them such a wrench. --Skelton. [1913 Webster]

The injurious effect upon biographic literature of all such wrenches to the truth, is diffused everywhere. --De Quincey. [1913 Webster]

3. A sprain; an injury by twisting, as in a joint. [1913 Webster]

4. Means; contrivance. [Obs.] --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

5. An instrument, often a simple bar or lever with jaws or an angular orifice either at the end or between the ends, for exerting a twisting strain, as in turning bolts, nuts, screw taps, etc.; a screw key. Many wrenches have adjustable jaws for grasping nuts, etc., of different sizes. [1913 Webster]

6. (Mech.) The system made up of a force and a couple of forces in a plane perpendicular to that force. Any number of forces acting at any points upon a rigid body may be compounded so as to be equivalent to a wrench. [1913 Webster]

{Carriage wrench}, a wrench adapted for removing or tightening the nuts that confine the wheels on the axles, or for turning the other nuts or bolts of a carriage or wagon.

{Monkey wrench}. See under {Monkey}.

{Wrench hammer}, a wrench with the end shaped so as to admit of being used as a hammer. [1913 Webster]