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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

2 entries under this word

Wrest

Wrĕst, v. t.

verbtransitive

(rĕst), v. t. [imp. & p. p. WRESTED; p. pr. & vb. n. WRESTING.] [A-S. wræstan, gewræstan, Dan. wriste. Cf. WRIST.]

Sense 1. To turn; to twist; especially, to twist or extort by violence; to pull or force away by violent wringing or twisting. “The secret wrested from me.” Milton.

Our country's cause. That drew our swords, now wrests them from our hands. Addison.

But fate has wrested the confession from me. Addison.

Sense 2. To turn from truth, or twist from its natural meaning by violence; to pervert; to distort. “Their arts of wresting, corrupting, and false interpreting the holy truth.” South.

Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor. Ex. xxiii. 6. Wrest once the law to your authority. Shak.

Wrĕst, n.

noun

(rĕst), n. 1. Violent pulling and twisting; distortion; perversion. Hooker.

  1. Active or moving power. [Obs.] Spenser.
  2. A key to tune a stringed instrument of music, as a harp.

The minstrel . . . wore round his neck a silver chain, by which hung the wrest, or key, with which he tuned his harp. W. Scott. 4. A partition in a water-wheel, by which the form of the buckets is determined.