Writhe (?), v. t. [imp.
Writhed (?); p. p. Writhed, Obs. or Poetic
Writhen (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Writhing.]
[OE. writhen, AS. wrī&?;an to twist; akin to OHG.
rīdan, Icel. rī&?;a, Sw. vrida, Dan.
vride. Cf. Wreathe, Wrest, Wroth.]
1. To twist; to turn; now, usually, to twist or
turn so as to distort; to wring. "With writhing [turning] of
a pin." Chaucer.
Then Satan first knew pain,
And writhed him to and fro.
Milton.
Her mouth she writhed, her forehead taught to
frown.
Dryden.
His battle-writhen arms, and mighty
hands.
Tennyson.
2. To wrest; to distort; to pervert.
The reason which he yieldeth showeth the least part of his
meaning to be that whereunto his words are writhed.
Hooker.
3. To extort; to wring; to wrest. [R.]
The nobility hesitated not to follow the example of their
sovereign in writhing money from them by every species of
oppression.
Sir W. Scott.
Writhe, v. i. To twist or contort the
body; to be distorted; as, to writhe with agony. Also used
figuratively.
After every attempt, he felt that he had failed, and
writhed with shame and vexation.
Macaulay.
Writhe (?), v. t. [imp.
Writhed (?); p. p. Writhed, Obs. or Poetic
Writhen (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Writhing.]
[OE. writhen, AS. wrī&?;an to twist; akin to OHG.
rīdan, Icel. rī&?;a, Sw. vrida, Dan.
vride. Cf. Wreathe, Wrest, Wroth.]
1. To twist; to turn; now, usually, to twist or
turn so as to distort; to wring. "With writhing [turning] of
a pin." Chaucer.
Then Satan first knew pain,
And writhed him to and fro.
Milton.
Her mouth she writhed, her forehead taught to
frown.
Dryden.
His battle-writhen arms, and mighty
hands.
Tennyson.
2. To wrest; to distort; to pervert.
The reason which he yieldeth showeth the least part of his
meaning to be that whereunto his words are writhed.
Hooker.
3. To extort; to wring; to wrest. [R.]
The nobility hesitated not to follow the example of their
sovereign in writhing money from them by every species of
oppression.
Sir W. Scott.
Writhe, v. i. To twist or contort the
body; to be distorted; as, to writhe with agony. Also used
figuratively.
After every attempt, he felt that he had failed, and
writhed with shame and vexation.
Macaulay.
