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Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary - Contents
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    WRANGLER — WYCH-ELM

    WRANGLER, n. An angry disputant; one who disputes with heat or peevishness; as a noisy contentious wrangler. Senior wrangler, in the university of Cambridge, the student who passes the best examination in the senate house. Then follow the second, third, etc. Wranglers.

    WRANGLESOME, a. Contentious; quarrelsome.

    WRANGLING, ppr. Disputing or contending angrily.

    WRANGLING, n. The act of disputing angrily.

    WRAP, v.t. pret. and pp. wrapped or wrapt.

    1. To wind or fold together. John 20:7.NWAD WRAP.2

    2. To involve; to cover by winding something round; often with up; as, to wrap up a child in its blanket; wrap the body well with flannel in winter.NWAD WRAP.3

    I, wrapt in mist of midnight vapor, glide obscure.NWAD WRAP.4

    3. To involve; to hide; as truth wrapt in tales.NWAD WRAP.5

    4. To comprise; to contain.NWAD WRAP.6

    Leontines young wife, in whom all his happiness was wrapped up, died in a few days after the death of her daughter.NWAD WRAP.7

    5. To involve totally.NWAD WRAP.8

    Things reflected on in gross and transiently, are thought to be wrapped in impenetrable obscurity.NWAD WRAP.9

    6. To inclose.NWAD WRAP.10

    7. To snatch up; to transport. This is an error. It ought to be rapt. [See Rap and Rapt.]NWAD WRAP.11

    WRAPPED, WRAPT, pp. Wound; folded; inclosed.

    WRAPPER, n.

    1. One that wraps.NWAD WRAPPER.2

    2. That in which any thing is wrapped or inclosed.NWAD WRAPPER.3

    WRAPPING, ppr.

    1. Winding; folding; involving; inclosing.NWAD WRAPPING.2

    2. a. Used or designed for wrapping or covering; as wrapping paper.NWAD WRAPPING.3

    WRAP-RASCAL, n. An upper coat.

    WRASS, WRASSE, n. A fish, the Labrus tinca of Linne, called by authors, turdus vulgaris, or tinca marina, the sea-tench, and sometimes old-wife. It resembles the carp in figure, and is covered with large scales. The name is also applied to other species of the genus Labrus.

    WRATH, n. [L.]

    1. Violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation; as the wrath of Achilles.NWAD WRATH.2

    When the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased-- Esther 2:1.NWAD WRATH.3

    O Lord--in wrath remember mercy. Habakkuk 3:2.NWAD WRATH.4

    2. The effects of anger. Proverbs 27:4.NWAD WRATH.5

    3. The just punishment of an offense or crime. Romans 13:4.NWAD WRATH.6

    Gods wrath, in Scripture, is his holy and just indignation against sin. Romans 1:18.NWAD WRATH.7

    WRATHFUL, a.

    1. Very angry; greatly incensed. The king was very wrathful.NWAD WRATHFUL.2

    2. Springing from wrath, or expressing it; as wrathful passions; a wrathful countenance.NWAD WRATHFUL.3

    WRATHFULLY, adv. With violent anger.

    WRATHFULNESS, n. Vehement anger.

    WRATHLESS, a. Free from anger.

    WRATHY, a. Very angry; a colloquial word.

    WRAWL, v.i. To cry, as a cat. [Not in use.]

    WREAK, v.t. [G. The sense is to drive or throw, to dash with violence.]

    1. To execute; to inflict; to hurl or drive; as, to wreak vengeance on an enemy.NWAD WREAK.2

    On me let death wreak all his rage.NWAD WREAK.3

    2. To revenge.NWAD WREAK.4

    Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain.NWAD WREAK.5

    Anothers wrongs to wreak upon thyself.NWAD WREAK.6

    [This latter sense is nearly or quite obsolete.]NWAD WREAK.7

    WREAK, for reck. To care, is a mistake.

    WREAK, n. Revenge; vengeance; furious passion.

    WREAKFUL, a. Revengeful; angry.

    WREAKLESS, a. Unrevengeful; weak.

    WREATH, n. [See Writhe.]

    1. To twist; to convolve; to wind one about another; as, to wreath a garland of flowers.NWAD WREATH.2

    2. To interweave; to entwine; as chains of wreathed work.NWAD WREATH.3

    3. To encircle, as a garland.NWAD WREATH.4

    The flowrs that wreath the sparkling bowl.NWAD WREATH.5

    4. To encircle as with a garland; to dress in a garland.NWAD WREATH.6

    And with thy winding ivy wreaths her lance.NWAD WREATH.7

    WREATH, v.i. To be interwoven or entwined; as a bower of wreathing trees.

    WREATHED, pp. Twisted; entwined; interwoven.

    WREATHING, ppr. Twisting; entwining; encircling.

    WREATHY, a. Twisted; curled; spiral; as a wreathy spire.

    WRECK, n.

    1. Destruction; properly, the destruction of a ship or vessel on the shore. Hence,NWAD WRECK.2

    2. The ruins of a ship stranded; a ship dashed against rocks or land and broken, or otherwise rendered useless by violence and fracture.NWAD WRECK.3

    3. Dissolution by violence; ruin; destruction.NWAD WRECK.4

    The wreck of matter and the crush of worlds.NWAD WRECK.5

    4. The remains of any thing ruined; dead weeds and grass.NWAD WRECK.6

    5. In metallurgy, the vessel in which ores are washed the third time.NWAD WRECK.7

    6. Wreck, for wreak, is less proper. [See also Rack.]NWAD WRECK.8

    WRECK, v.t.

    1. To stand; to drive against the shore, or dash against rocks, and break or destroy. The ship Diamond of new York, was wrecked on a rock in Cardigan Bay, on the coast of Wales.NWAD WRECK.10

    2. To ruin; as, they wreck their own fortunes.NWAD WRECK.11

    3. Wreck, for wreak, is improper.NWAD WRECK.12

    WRECK, v.i. To suffer wreck or ruin.

    WRECKED, pp. Dashed against the shore or on rocks; stranded and ruined.

    WRECKFUL, a. Causing wreck.

    WRECKING, ppr. Stranding; running on rocks or on shore; ruining.

    WREN, n. A small bird of the genus Motacilla.

    WRENCH, v.t. [See Wring.]

    1. To pull with a twist; to wrest, twist or force by violence; as, to wrench a sword from anothers hand.NWAD WRENCH.2

    2. To strain; to sprain; to distort.NWAD WRENCH.3

    You wrenched your foot against a stone.NWAD WRENCH.4

    WRENCH, n.

    1. A violent twist, or a pull with twisting.NWAD WRENCH.6

    2. A sprain; an injury by twisting; as in a joint.NWAD WRENCH.7

    3. An instrument for screwing or unscrewing iron work.NWAD WRENCH.8

    4. Means of compulsion. [Not used.]NWAD WRENCH.9

    5. In the plural, sleights; subtilties.NWAD WRENCH.10

    WREST, v.t. [G., to wrest, to snatch or pull, to burst, to tear.]

    1. To twist or extort by violence; to pull or force from by violent wringing or twisting; as, to wrest an instrument from anothers hands.NWAD WREST.2

    2. To take or force from by violence. The enemy made a great effort, and wrested the victory from our hands.NWAD WREST.3

    But fate has wrested the confession from me.NWAD WREST.4

    3. To distort; to turn from truth or twist from its natural meaning by violence; to pervert.NWAD WREST.5

    Wrest once the law to your authority.NWAD WREST.6

    Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of the poor. Exodus 23:6.NWAD WREST.7

    Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16.NWAD WREST.8

    WREST, n.

    1. Distortion; violent pulling and twisting; perversion.NWAD WREST.10

    2. Active or moving power. [Not used.]NWAD WREST.11

    3. An instrument to tune.NWAD WREST.12

    WRESTED, pp. Pulled with twisting; distorted; perverted.

    WRESTER, n. One who wrests or perverts.

    WRESTING, ppr. Pulling with a twist; distorting; perverting.

    WRESTLE, v.i. resl.

    1. To strive with arms extended, as two men, who seize each other by the collar and arms, each endeavoring to throw the other by tripping up his heels and twitching him off his center.NWAD WRESTLE.2

    Another, by a fall in wrestling, started the end of the clavicle from the sternum.NWAD WRESTLE.3

    2. To struggle; to strive; to contend.NWAD WRESTLE.4

    We wrestle not against flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12.NWAD WRESTLE.5

    WRESTLER, n. One who wrestles; or one who is skillful in wrestling.

    WRESTLING, pp. Striving to throw; contending.

    WRESTLING, n. Strife; struggle; contention.

    WRETCH, n.

    1. A miserable person; one sunk in the deepest distress; as a forlorn wretch.NWAD WRETCH.2

    2. A worthless mortal; as a contemptible wretch.NWAD WRETCH.3

    3. A person sunk in vice; as a profligate wretch.NWAD WRETCH.4

    4. It is sometimes used by way of slight or ironical pity or contempt.NWAD WRETCH.5

    Poor wretch was never frighted so.NWAD WRETCH.6

    5. It is sometimes used to express tenderness; as we say, poor thing.NWAD WRETCH.7

    WRETCHED, a.

    1. Very miserable; sunk into deep affliction or distress, either from want, anxiety or grief.NWAD WRETCHED.2

    The wretched find no friends.NWAD WRETCHED.3

    2. Calamitous; very afflicting; as the wretched condition of slaves in Algiers.NWAD WRETCHED.4

    3. Worthless; paltry; very poor or mean; as a wretched poem; a wretched cabin.NWAD WRETCHED.5

    4. Despicable; hatefully vile and contemptible. He was guilty of wretched ingratitude.NWAD WRETCHED.6

    WRETCHEDLY, adv.

    1. Most miserably; very poorly. The prisoners were wretchedly lodged.NWAD WRETCHEDLY.2

    2. Unhappily; as two wars wretchedly entered upon.NWAD WRETCHEDLY.3

    3. Meanly; despicable; as a discourse wretchedly delivered.NWAD WRETCHEDLY.4

    WRETCHEDNESS, n.

    1. Extreme misery or unhappiness, either from want or sorrow; as the wretchedness of poor mendicants.NWAD WRETCHEDNESS.2

    We have, with the feeling, most the very memory of such wretchedness as our forefathers endured--NWAD WRETCHEDNESS.3

    The prodigal brought nothing to his father but his rags and wretchedness.NWAD WRETCHEDNESS.4

    2. Meanness; despicableness; as the wretchedness of a performance.NWAD WRETCHEDNESS.5

    WRETCHLESS, for reckless, is improper.

    WRETCHLESSNESS, for recklessness, is improper.

    WRIG, for wriggle. [Not in use.]

    WRIGGLE, v.i. To move the body to and fro with short motions.

    Both he and his successors would often wriggle in their seats, as long as the cushion lasted.NWAD WRIGGLE.2

    WRIGGLE, v.t. To put into a quick reciprocating motion; to introduce by a shifting motion.

    Wriggling his body to recover his seat, and cast his right leg over.NWAD WRIGGLE.4

    WRIGGLER, n. One who wriggles.

    WRIGGLING, ppr. Moving the body one way and the other with quick turns.

    WRIGHT, n. An artificer; one whose occupation is some kind of mechanical business; a workman; a manufacturer. This word is now chiefly used in compounds, as in shipwright, wheelwright.

    WRING, v.t. pret. and pp. wringed and wrung. The latter is chiefly used.

    1. To twist; to turn and strain with violence; as, to wring clothes in washing.NWAD WRING.2

    2. To squeeze; to press; to force by twisting; as, to wring water out of a wet garment.NWAD WRING.3

    3. To writhe; as, to wring the body in pain.NWAD WRING.4

    4. TO pinch.NWAD WRING.5

    The king began to find where his shoe did wring him.NWAD WRING.6

    If he had not been too much grieved and wrung by an uneasy and strait fortune--NWAD WRING.7

    5. To distress; to press with pain.NWAD WRING.8

    Didst thou taste but half the griefs, that wring my soul, thou couldst not talk thus coldly.NWAD WRING.9

    6. To distort; to pervert.NWAD WRING.10

    How dare these men thus wring the Scriptures?NWAD WRING.11

    7. To persecute with extortion.NWAD WRING.12

    These merchant adventurers have been often wronged and wringed to the quick.NWAD WRING.13

    8. To bend or strain out of its positions, as, to wring a mast.NWAD WRING.14

    To wring off, to force off or separate by wringing; as, to wring off the head of a fowl.NWAD WRING.15

    To wring out,NWAD WRING.16

    1. To force out; to squeeze out by twisting; as, to wring out dew or water. Judges 6:38.NWAD WRING.17

    2. To free from a liquor by wringing; as, to wring out clothes.NWAD WRING.18

    To wring from, to force from by violence; to extort; as revenues wrung from the poor; to wring from one his rights; to wring a secret from one.NWAD WRING.19

    WRING, v.i. To writhe; to twist; as with anguish.

    WRING, n. Action of anguish.

    WRING-BOLT, n. [wring and bolt.] A bolt used by shipwrights, to bend and secure the planks against the timbers till they are fastened by bolts, spikes and tree-nails.

    WRINGED, pp. Twisted; pressed; distressed; extorted.

    WRINGER, n. One who wrings; one that forces water out of any thing by wringing.

    WRINGING, ppr. Twisting; writhing; extorting.

    WRING-STAVES, n. Strong bars of wood used in applying wring-bolts.

    WRINKLE, n. [G.]

    1. A small ridge or prominence, or a furrow, formed by the shrinking or contraction of any smooth substance; corrugation; a crease; as wrinkles in the face or skin.NWAD WRINKLE.2

    2. A fold or rumple in cloth.NWAD WRINKLE.3

    3. Roughness; unevenness.NWAD WRINKLE.4

    Not the least wrinkle to deform the sky.NWAD WRINKLE.5

    WRINKLE, v.t.

    1. To contract into furrows and prominences; to corrugate; as, to wrinkle the skin; to wrinkle the brow.NWAD WRINKLE.7

    Her wrinkled form in black and white arrayd.NWAD WRINKLE.8

    2. To make rough or uneven.NWAD WRINKLE.9

    A keen north wind, blowing dry, wrinkled the face of deluge, as decayd.NWAD WRINKLE.10

    WRINKLE, v.i. To shrink into furrows and ridges.

    WRINKLED, pp. Contracted into ridges and furrows.

    WRINKLING, ppr. Shrinking; contracting into furrows and ridges.

    WRIST, n.

    1. The joint by which the hand is united to the arm.NWAD WRIST.2

    2. In the manege, the bridle wrist is that of the cavaliers left hand.NWAD WRIST.3

    WRISTBAND, n. [wrist and band.] That band or part of a shirt sleeve which covers the wrist.

    WRIT, n. [from write.]

    1. That which is written. In this sense, writ is particularly applied to the Scriptures, or books of the Old Testament and New Testament; as holy writ; sacred writ.NWAD WRIT.2

    2. In law, precept issued from the proper authority to the sheriff, his deputy or other subordinate officer, commanding him to perform some act, as to summon a defendant into court to answer, and the like.NWAD WRIT.3

    In England, writs are issued from some court under seal. In some of the United States, writs are issued by any single judge or justice of the peace, in the name and by the authority of the senate.NWAD WRIT.4

    In some of the United States, the writ in a civil suit, contains both the summons and the plaintiffs declaration or cause of action set forth at large, and a writ is either a summons or an attachment.NWAD WRIT.5

    Writs are original or judicial. An original writ, in England, is issued from the high court of chancery. A judicial writ is issued by order of a court upon a special occasion, during the pendency of the suit.NWAD WRIT.6

    Writs are of various kinds; as writs of assize; writs of capias; writs of distringas, etc.NWAD WRIT.7

    3. A legal instrument.NWAD WRIT.8

    WRIT, pret. of write, is not now used. [See Write and Wrote.]

    WRITE, v.t. pret. wrote; pp. writ, written. [L.]

    1. To form by a pen on paper or other material, or by a graver on wood or stone; as, to write the characters called letters; to write figures. We write characters on paper with pen and ink; we write them on stone with a graving tool.NWAD WRITE.2

    2. To express by forming letters and words on paper or stone; as, to write a deed; to write a bill of divorcement. The ten commandments were written with the finger of God on tables of stone. Exodus 31:18.NWAD WRITE.3

    3. To engrave. [See the preceding definition.]NWAD WRITE.4

    4. To impress durable. Write useful truths on the heart.NWAD WRITE.5

    5. To compose or produce, as an author.NWAD WRITE.6

    6. To copy; to transcribe.NWAD WRITE.7

    7. To communicate by letter.NWAD WRITE.8

    I chose to write the thing I durst not speak to her I lovd.NWAD WRITE.9

    WRITE, v.i.

    1. To perform the act of forming characters, letters or figures, as representatives of sounds or ideas. Learn to write when young.NWAD WRITE.11

    2. To be employed as a clerk or an amanuensis. A writes for B. D writes in one of the public offices.NWAD WRITE.12

    3. To play the author; as, he thinks, he speaks, he writes, he sings.NWAD WRITE.13

    4. To recite or relate in books. Josephus wrote of the wars of the Jews.NWAD WRITE.14

    5. To send letters.NWAD WRITE.15

    He wrote for all the Jews concerning their freedom.NWAD WRITE.16

    6. To call ones self; to be entitled; to use the style of.NWAD WRITE.17

    Those who began to write themselves men, but thought it no shame to learn.NWAD WRITE.18

    7. To compose; to frame or combine ideas and express them in words.NWAD WRITE.19

    They can write up to the dignity and character of their authors.NWAD WRITE.20

    WRITER, n.

    1. One who writes or has written.NWAD WRITER.2

    2. An author.NWAD WRITER.3

    3. A clerk or amanuensis.NWAD WRITER.4

    Writer of the tallies, an officer of the exchequer of England; a clerk to the auditor of the receipt, who writes upon the tallies the whole of the tellers bills.NWAD WRITER.5

    WRITHE, v.t.

    1. To twist; to distort.NWAD WRITHE.2

    Her mouth she writhd.NWAD WRITHE.3

    2. To twist with violence; as, to writhe the body.NWAD WRITHE.4

    3. To wrest; to distort; to torture; as, to writhe words.NWAD WRITHE.5

    WRITHE, v.i. To twist; to be distorted; as, to writhe with agony.

    WRITHED, pp. Twisted; distorted.

    WRITHING, ppr. Twisting; distorting.

    WRITHLE, v.t. [from writhe.] To wrinkle. [Not in use.]

    WRITING, ppr.

    1. Forming, as characters, with a pen, style or graver.NWAD WRITING.2

    2. a. Used or intended for writing; as writing paper.NWAD WRITING.3

    WRITING, n.

    1. The act or art of forming letters and characters, on paper, wood, stone or other material, for the purpose of recording the ideas which characters and the words express, or of communicating them to others by visible signs. We hardly know which to admire most, the ingenuity or the utility of the art of writing.NWAD WRITING.5

    2. Any thing written or expressed in letters; hence, any legal instrument, as a deed, a receipt, a bond, an agreement, etc.NWAD WRITING.6

    3. A book; any written composition; a pamphlet; as the writings of Addison.NWAD WRITING.7

    4. An inscription. John 19:19.NWAD WRITING.8

    5. Writings, plu. conveyances of lands; deeds; or any official papers.NWAD WRITING.9

    WRITING-MASTER, n. One who teaches the art of penmanship.

    WRITTEN, pp. Expressed in letters.

    Written laws, statutes; laws enacted by the supreme power and recorded; as contradistinguished from unwritten or common law.NWAD WRITTEN.2

    WRIZZLED, for writhled. [Not in use.]

    WROKEN, for wreaked. [Not in use.]

    WRONG, a. Literally wrung, twisted or turned from a straight line or even surface. Hence,

    1. Not physically right; not fit or suitable; as the wrong side of a garment. You hold the book the wrong end uppermost. There may be something wrong in the construction of a watch or an edifice.NWAD WRONG.2

    2. Not morally right; that deviates from the line of rectitude prescribed by God; not just or equitable; not right or proper; not legal; erroneous; as a wrong practice; wrong ideas; a wrong course of life; wrong measures; wrong inclinations and desires; a wrong application of talents; wrong judgment. Habakkuk 1:4.NWAD WRONG.3

    3. Erroneous; not according to truth; as a wrong statement.NWAD WRONG.4

    WRONG, n. Whatever deviates from moral rectitude; any injury done to another; a trespass; a violation of right. Wrongs are private or public. Private wrongs are civil injuries, immediately affecting individuals; public wrongs are crimes and misdemeanors which affect the community.

    Sarai said to Abraham, my wrong be on thee. Genesis 16:5.NWAD WRONG.6

    Friend, I do thee no wrong. Matthew 20:13.NWAD WRONG.7

    The obligation to redress a wrong, is at least as binding as that of paying a debt.NWAD WRONG.8

    WRONG, adv. Not rightly; amiss; morally ill; erroneously.

    Ten censure wrong for one that writes amiss.NWAD WRONG.10

    WRONG, v.t.

    1. To injure; to treat with injustice; to deprive of some right, or to withhold some act of justice from. We wrong a man, when we defraud him, and when we trespass on his property. We wrong a man, when we neglect to pay him his due. Philemon 18.NWAD WRONG.12

    2. To do injustice to by imputation; to impute evil unjustly. If you suppose me capable of a base act, you wrong me.NWAD WRONG.13

    WRONG-DOER, n. One who injures another, or does wrong.

    WRONG-DOING, n. Evil or wicked act or action.

    WRONGED, pp. Treated unjustly; injured.

    WRONGER, n. One who injures another.

    WRONGFUL, a. Injurious unjust; as a wrongful taking of property; wrongful dealing.

    WRONGFULLY, adv. Unjustly; in a manner contrary to the moral law or to justice; as, to accuse one wrongfully; to suffer wrongfully.

    WRONGHEAD, WRONGHEADED, a. [wrong and head.] Wrong in opinion or principle; having a perverse understanding; perverse.

    WRONGHEADEDNESS, n. Perverseness; erroneousness.

    WRONGLESSLY, adv. Without injury to any one. [Not used.]

    WRONGLY, adv. In a wrong manner; unjustly; amiss. He judges wrongly of my motives.

    WRONGNESS, n. Wrong disposition; error.

    WROTE, pret. of write. He wrote a letter yesterday. Herodotus wrote his history more than two thousand years ago. [Note. Wrote is now used as the participle.]

    WROTH, a. Rauth. [See Wrath.] Very angry; much exasperated.

    Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Genesis 4:5.NWAD WROTH.2

    I was wroth with my people. Isaiah 47:6.NWAD WROTH.3

    [An excellent word and not obsolete.]NWAD WROTH.4

    WROUGHT, pret. and pp. of work. raut.

    1. Worked; formed by work or labor; as wrought iron.NWAD WROUGHT.2

    2. Effected; performed.NWAD WROUGHT.3

    She hath wrought a good work upon me. Matthew 26:10.NWAD WROUGHT.4

    3. Effected; produced. He wrought the public safety. A great change was wrought in his mind.NWAD WROUGHT.5

    This wrought the greatest confusion int he unbelieving Jews.NWAD WROUGHT.6

    4. Used in labor.NWAD WROUGHT.7

    The elders of that city shall take a heifer that hath not been wrought with. Deuteronomy 21:3.NWAD WROUGHT.8

    5. Worked; driven; as infection wrought out of the body. [Not used.]NWAD WROUGHT.9

    6. Actuated.NWAD WROUGHT.10

    Vain Morat, by his own rashness wrought--NWAD WROUGHT.11

    7. Worked; used; labored in. The mine is still wrought.NWAD WROUGHT.12

    8. Formed; fitted.NWAD WROUGHT.13

    He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God. 2 Corinthians 5:5.NWAD WROUGHT.14

    9. Guided; managed. [Not used.]NWAD WROUGHT.15

    10. Agitated; disturbed.NWAD WROUGHT.16

    My dull brain was wrought with things forgot.NWAD WROUGHT.17

    Wrought on or upon, influenced; prevailed on. His mind was wrought upon by divine grace.NWAD WROUGHT.18

    Wrought to or up to, excited; inflamed. Their minds were wrought up to a violent passion. She was wrought up to the tenderest emotion of pity.NWAD WROUGHT.19

    WRUNG, pret. and pp. of wring.

    WRY, a.

    1. Twisted; turned to one side; distorted; as a wry neck; a wry mouth.NWAD WRY.2

    2. Deviating from the right direction; as wry words.NWAD WRY.3

    3. Wrested; perverted; as, to put a wry sense on an authors words.NWAD WRY.4

    WRY, v.i. To be writhed or distorted. [Not used.]

    WRY, v.t. To distort; to wrest. [Not used.]

    WRYNECK, n. [wry and neck.]

    1. A twisted or distorted neck; a deformity in which the neck is drawn to one side, and at the same time somewhat forwards.NWAD WRYNECK.2

    2. A disease of the spasmodic kind in sheep, in which the head is drawn to one side.NWAD WRYNECK.3

    3. In ornithology, a bird resembling the woodpeckers, the Yunx torquilla; so called form the singular manner in which when surprised, it tuns its head over its shoulders.NWAD WRYNECK.4

    WRYNECKED, a. Having a distorted neck.

    WRYNESS, a. The state of being wry or distorted.

    WYCH-ELM, n. A variety of the elm, or a peculiar species, (Ulmus glabra.)

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