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.]
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.
[His steed] so sweat that men might him wring.
--Chaucer.
The king began to find where his shoe did wring him.
--Bacon.
The priest shall bring it [a dove] unto the altar,
and wring off his head. --Lev. i. 15.
2. Hence, to pain; to distress; to torment; to torture.
Too much grieved and wrung by an uneasy and strait
fortune. --Clarendon.
Didst thou taste but half the griefs That wring my
soul, thou couldst not talk thus coldly. --Addison.
3. To distort; to pervert; to wrest.
How dare men thus wring the Scriptures? --Whitgift.
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.
Your overkindness doth wring tears from me. --Shak.
He rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the
fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the
fleece. --Judg. vi.
38.
5. To subject to extortion; to afflict, or oppress, in order
to enforce compliance.
To wring the widow from her 'customed right. --Shak.
The merchant adventures have been often wronged and
wringed to the quick. --Hayward.
6. (Naut.) To bend or strain out of its position; as, to
wring a mast.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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