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It is not only important, but, in a degree necessary, that the people of this country, should have an American Dictionary of the English language; for, although the body of the language is the same as in England, and it is desirable to perpetuate that sameness, yet some differences must exist. Language is the expression of ideas; and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas, they cannot retain an identity of language. |
WRING, v.t. pret. and pp. wringed and wrung. The latter is chiefly used.
WRING, v.i. To writhe; to twist; as with anguish.
WRING, n. Action of anguish.
To twist and compress; to turn and strain with
violence; to writhe; to squeeze hard; to pinch; as, to wring clothes
in washing.
"Earnestly wringing Waverley's hand." Sir W.
Scott. "Wring him by the nose." Shak.
[His steed] so sweat that men might him wring. Chaucer. The king began to find where his shoe did wring him. Bacon. The priest shall bring it [a dove] unto the altar, and wring off his head. Lev. i. 15. Hence, to pain; to distress; to torment; to
torture.
Too much grieved and wrung by an uneasy and strait fortune. Clarendon. Didst thou taste but half the griefs To distort; to pervert; to wrest.
How dare men thus wring the Scriptures? Whitgift. To extract or obtain by twisting and
compressing; to squeeze or press (out); hence, to extort; to draw forth by
violence, or against resistance or repugnance; -- usually with out
or form.
Your overkindness doth wring tears from me. Shak. He rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece. Judg. vi. 38. To subject to extortion; to afflict, or oppress,
in order to enforce compliance.
To wring the widow from her 'customed right. Shak. The merchant adventures have been often wronged and wringed to the quick. Hayward. To bend or strain out of its
position; as, to wring a mast.
To writhe; to twist, as
with anguish.
'T is all men's office to speak patience Look where the sister of the king of France A writhing, as in anguish; a
twisting; a griping.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall. | ||||||||