wrench

noun

1. 1

   A movement that twists or pulls violently; a tug.

   With a wrench, which threw his victim back upon the bed as though hurled from a height, he turned and sprang at us.

   It was difficult indeed for Max to disengage himself from the effusive Spinola's affection without a wrench.

2. 2

   An injury caused by a violent twisting or pulling of a limb; strain, sprain.

3. 3

   obsoleteA trick or artifice.

4. 4

   obsoleteDeceit; guile; treachery.

5. 5

   obsoleteA turn at an acute angle.

6. 6

   archaicA winch or windlass.

7. 7

   obsoleteA screw.

8. 8

   A distorting change from the original meaning.

9. 9

   A hand tool for making rotational adjustments, such as fitting nuts and bolts, or fitting pipes.

10. 10

    An adjustable spanner used by plumbers.

11. 11

    A violent emotional change caused by separation.

12. 12

    In screw theory, a screw assembled from force and torque vectors arising from application of Newton's laws to a rigid body.

13. 13

    obsoletemeans; contrivance

    But weighing one thing with another he gave Britain for lost; but resolved to make his profit of this business of Britain, as a quarrel for war; and that of Naples, as a wrench and mean for peace

14. 14

    In coursing, the act of bringing the hare round at less than a right angle, worth half a point in the recognised code of points for judging.

verb

1. 1

   To pull or twist violently.

   With a surge of adrenaline, she wrenched the car door off and pulled out the injured man.

2. 2

   To injure (a joint) by pulling or twisting.

   Be careful not to wrench your ankle walking along those loose stones!

3. 3

   To distort the original meaning of; to misrepresent.

4. 4

   To rack with pain; to make hurt or distressed.

   And what actinic, mind-wrenching form could the countermeme take? How could human hands assemble something so devastatingly powerful and hold it steady; what human mind could wield it without exploding from the inside out?

5. 5

   To deprive by means of a violent pull or twist.

6. 6

   To use a wrench; to twist with a wrench.

   The plumber wrenched the pipes until they came loose.

7. 7

   obsoleteTo violently move in a turn or writhe.

8. 8

   obsoleteTo tighten with or as if with a winch.

   [S]end me that hag hither; she shall avouch what it was that she hath given to the wretch Dryfesdale, or the pilniewinks and thumbikins shall wrench it out of her finger-joints.

9. 9

   obsoleteTo thrust (a weapon) in a twisting motion.

10. 10

    obsoleteTo disarm an opponent by whirling their blade away.

Forms

plural

wrenches

past tense

wrenched

past participle

wrenched

present participle

wrenching

third person singular

wrenches