Wrench

Wrench
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.] [1913 Webster] 1. Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

His wily wrenches thou ne mayst not flee. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

2. A violent twist, or a pull with twisting. [1913 Webster]

He wringeth them such a wrench. --Skelton. [1913 Webster]

The injurious effect upon biographic literature of all such wrenches to the truth, is diffused everywhere. --De Quincey. [1913 Webster]

3. A sprain; an injury by twisting, as in a joint. [1913 Webster]

4. Means; contrivance. [Obs.] --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

{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. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Wrench — Wrench, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrenched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wrenching}.] [OE. wrenchen, AS. wrencan to deceive, properly, to twist, from wrenc guile, deceit, a twisting. ????. See {Wrench}, n.] [1913 Webster] 1. To pull with a twist; to wrest, twist …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wrench — vb Wrench, wrest, wring can all basically mean to turn or twist forcibly, but they tend to vary widely in the implied purpose or result of the action. Wrench denotes a twisting or turning with considerable force, often with an abrupt tug or yank …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • wrench — rench vt to injure or disable by a violent twisting or straining <slipped and wrenched her back> wrench n a sharp twist or sudden jerk straining muscles or ligaments also the resultant injury (as of a joint) …   Medical dictionary

  • wrench — [rench] n. [ME < OE wrenc, a trick, deceit; akin to Ger ränke, a bend, twist < IE * wreng < base * wer , to twist, turn > WORM] 1. a sudden, sharp twist or pull 2. an injury caused by a twist or jerk, as to the back, a joint, etc. 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • wrench — index contort, deprive, distort, exact, force (break), luxate, sever Burton s Legal Thesaurus. Will …   Law dictionary

  • wrench — [v] jerk, force violently bend, coerce, compel, contort, dislocate, dislodge, distort, drag, exact, extract, pervert, pinch, pull, rend, rip, screw, sprain, squeeze, strain, tear, tug, tweak, twist, wrest, wring, yank; concept 80 …   New thesaurus

  • wrench — ► VERB 1) pull or twist suddenly and violently. 2) injure (a part of the body) as a result of a sudden twisting movement. ► NOUN 1) a sudden violent twist or pull. 2) a feeling of abrupt pain and distress caused by one s own or another s… …   English terms dictionary

  • Wrench — For other uses, see Wrench (disambiguation). A set of chrome vanadium metric wrenches, open at one end, box/ring at the other. This type is commonly known as a combination wrench. A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical… …   Wikipedia

  • wrench — [1] A device for removing nuts, bolts, and other fasteners. [2] A colloquial term for a mechanic or someone who is handy repairing engines. [3] To use a wrench tool. See adjustable wrench Allen wrench box wrench brake adjusting wrench brake… …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • wrench — wrencher, n. wrenchingly, adv. /rench/, v.t. 1. to twist suddenly and forcibly; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist: He wrenched the prisoner s wrist. 2. to overstrain or injure (the ankle, knee, etc.) by a sudden, violent twist: When she… …   Universalium

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