from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Writhe \Writhe\, v. t. [imp. {Writhed}; p. p. {Writhed}, Obs. or
Poetic {Writhen}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Writhing}.] [OE. writhen,
AS. wr[imac]?an to twist; akin to OHG. r[imac]dan, Icel.
r[imac]?a, Sw. vrida, Dan. vride. Cf. {Wreathe}, {Wrest},
{Wroth}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To twist; to turn; now, usually, to twist or turn so as to
distort; to wring. "With writhing [turning] of a pin."
--Chaucer.
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Then Satan first knew pain,
And writhed him to and fro. --Milton.
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Her mouth she writhed, her forehead taught to frown.
--Dryden.
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His battle-writhen arms, and mighty hands.
--Tennyson.
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2. To wrest; to distort; to pervert.
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The reason which he yieldeth showeth the least part
of his meaning to be that whereunto his words are
writhed. --Hooker.
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3. To extort; to wring; to wrest. [R.]
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The nobility hesitated not to follow the example of
their sovereign in writhing money from them by every
species of oppression. --Sir W.
Scott.
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