from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Wrench \Wrench\ (r[e^]nch), n. [OE. wrench deceit, AS. wrenc
deceit, a twisting; akin to G. rank intrigue, crookedness,
renken to bend, twist, and E. wring. [root]144. See {Wring},
and cf. {Ranch}, v. t.]
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1. Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem. [Obs.]
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His wily wrenches thou ne mayst not flee. --Chaucer.
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2. A violent twist, or a pull with twisting.
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He wringeth them such a wrench. --Skelton.
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The injurious effect upon biographic literature of
all such wrenches to the truth, is diffused
everywhere. --De Quincey.
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3. A sprain; an injury by twisting, as in a joint.
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4. Means; contrivance. [Obs.] --Bacon.
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5. An instrument, often a simple bar or lever with jaws or an
angular orifice either at the end or between the ends, for
exerting a twisting strain, as in turning bolts, nuts,
screw taps, etc.; a screw key. Many wrenches have
adjustable jaws for grasping nuts, etc., of different
sizes.
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6. (Mech.) The system made up of a force and a couple of
forces in a plane perpendicular to that force. Any number
of forces acting at any points upon a rigid body may be
compounded so as to be equivalent to a wrench.
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{Carriage wrench}, a wrench adapted for removing or
tightening the nuts that confine the wheels on the axles,
or for turning the other nuts or bolts of a carriage or
wagon.
{Monkey wrench}. See under {Monkey}.
{Wrench hammer}, a wrench with the end shaped so as to admit
of being used as a hammer.
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