- Wring
- Wring Wring, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrung}, Obs. {Wringed}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Wringing}.] [OE. wringen, AS. wringan; akin to
LG. & D. wringen, OHG. ringan to struggle, G. ringen, Sw.
vr["a]nga to distort, Dan. vringle to twist. Cf. {Wrangle},
{Wrench}, {Wrong}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To twist and compress; to turn and strain with violence;
to writhe; to squeeze hard; to pinch; as, to wring clothes
in washing. ``Earnestly wringing Waverley's hand.'' --Sir
W. Scott. ``Wring him by the nose.'' --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
[His steed] so sweat that men might him wring. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
The king began to find where his shoe did wring him. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
The priest shall bring it [a dove] unto the altar, and wring off his head. --Lev. i. 15. [1913 Webster]
2. Hence, to pain; to distress; to torment; to torture. [1913 Webster]
Too much grieved and wrung by an uneasy and strait fortune. --Clarendon. [1913 Webster]
Didst thou taste but half the griefs That wring my soul, thou couldst not talk thus coldly. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
3. To distort; to pervert; to wrest. [1913 Webster]
How dare men thus wring the Scriptures? --Whitgift. [1913 Webster]
4. To extract or obtain by twisting and compressing; to squeeze or press (out); hence, to extort; to draw forth by violence, or against resistance or repugnance; -- usually with out or form. [1913 Webster]
Your overkindness doth wring tears from me. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
He rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece. --Judg. vi. 38. [1913 Webster]
5. To subject to extortion; to afflict, or oppress, in order to enforce compliance. [1913 Webster]
To wring the widow from her 'customed right. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
The merchant adventures have been often wronged and wringed to the quick. --Hayward. [1913 Webster]
6. (Naut.) To bend or strain out of its position; as, to wring a mast. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
