wrest

wrest
verb /rɛst/
a) To pull or twist violently.

There was one of the tribe of Tarzan who questioned his authority, and that was Terkoz, the son of Tublat, but he so feared the keen knife and the deadly arrows of his new lord that he confined the manifestation of his objections to petty disobediences and irritating mannerisms; Tarzan knew, however, that he but waited his opportunity to wrest the kingship from him by some sudden stroke of treachery, and so he was ever on his guard against surprise.

b) To obtain by pulling or violent force.

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  • Wrest — Wrest, n. 1. The act of wresting; a wrench; a violent twist; hence, distortion; perversion. Hooker. [1913 Webster] 2. Active or moving power. [Obs.] Spenser. [1913 Webster] 3. A key to tune a stringed instrument of music. [1913 Webster] The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wrest — Wrest, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrested}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wresting}.] [OE. wresten, AS. wr?stan; akin to wr?? a twisted band, and wr[=i]?n to twist. See {Writhe}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To turn; to twist; esp., to twist or extort by violence; to pull of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wrest´er — wrest «rehst», verb, noun. –v.t. 1. to twist, pull, or tear away with force; wrench away: »After much pulling and tugging he wrested the stick from the jaws of the dog. 2. to take by force: »The nobles wrested the power from the king. 3.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • wrest — [rest] v [T always + adverb/preposition] [: Old English; Origin: wrAstan] 1.) formal to take power or influence away from someone, especially when this is difficult ▪ They are fighting to wrest control of the party from the old leaders. 2.)… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • wrest — wrest; wrest·er; turn·wrest; …   English syllables

  • wrest — index contort, deprive, exact, extort, levy, seize (confiscate), sequester (seize property), slant …   Law dictionary

  • wrest — [ rest ] verb transitive 1. ) MAINLY JOURNALISM to get land, power, or possessions from someone, usually by fighting: Russia wrested control of the northern Caucasus in the 19th century. 2. ) FORMAL to pull something away from someone using force …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • wrest — (v.) O.E. wræstan to twist, wrench, from P.Gmc. *wraistijanan (Cf. O.N. reista to bend, twist ), derivative of *wrig , *wreik to turn (see WRY (Cf. wry)). Meaning to pull, detach (something) is recorded from c.1300. Meaning to take by force (in… …   Etymology dictionary

  • wrest — vb *wrench, wring Analogous words: twist, bend (see CURVE): usurp, *arrogate, confiscate: extort, extract, elicit (see EDUCE): distort, contort (see DEFORM) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • wrest — ► VERB 1) forcibly pull from a person s grasp. 2) take (power or control) after effort or resistance. ORIGIN Old English, «twist, tighten»; related to WRIST(Cf. ↑wrist) …   English terms dictionary

  • wrest — [rest] vt. [ME wresten < OE wræstan, to twist violently, akin to ON reista < IE base * wer , to turn, bend, twist > WRITHE] 1. to turn or twist; esp., to pull or force away violently with a twisting motion 2. to take or extract by force; …   English World dictionary

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