wrestle
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɹɛsl̩/
ipa: /ˈɹɛs(ə)l/
rhymes: -ɛsəl
Forms: form: wrestles
Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English wrestlen, wrastlen (“to engage in grappling combat or sport, struggle, wrestle; to twist and turn, squirm, wriggle, writhe; (figurative) to contend, grapple with, struggle”), from Old English wrǣstlian (“to wrestle”), a frequentative form of wrǣstan (“to twist, wrest”), from Proto-Germanic *wraistijaną (“to turn; to twist, wrest”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wreyt- (“to twist”). By surface analysis, wrest + -le (frequentative suffix). Probably related to wraxle (UK, dialectal, archaic).
The noun is derived from the verb.
cognates
* Middle Dutch worstelen, wrastelen (“to wrestle”) (modern Dutch worstelen)
* Middle Low German wrostelen (“to wrestle”) (German Low German frösseln, wrösseln)
* Saterland Frisian wrosselje (“to contend, wrestle”)
* West Frisian wrakselje (“to wrestle”)
Senses: examples: text: [I]n a VVreſtle the Giant [Gogmagog] catching aloft, vvith a terrible hugg broke three of his Ribs: nevertheleſs Corineus enrag'd, heaving him up by main force, and on his Shoulders bearing him to the next high Rock, threvv him headlong all ſhatter'd into the Sea, and left his name on the Cliff, call'd ever ſince Langoëmagog, vvhich is to ſay, the Giants leap.
ref: 1670, John Milton, “The [First] Book”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC, pages 13–14:
text: Beyond the tilt-yard spread the larger space, / For the strong wrestle and the breathless race; […]
ref: 1848, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], “Book I”, in King Arthur. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, stanza LXXVI, page 28:
glosses: A fight or struggle between people during which they grapple or otherwise contend with each other in order to throw or force their opponent to the ground, chiefly as a sport or in unarmed combat.
examples: text: Both parties in the wrestle professing earnest wishes of peace to us, what have we to do with it except answer earnestly, "Peace, yes certainly," and mind our affairs elsewhere. The British Nation has no concern with that indispensable sorrowful and shameful wrestle now going on everywhere in foreign parts.
ref: 1850 April 1, Thomas Carlyle, “No. III. Downing Street.”, in Latter-Day Pamphlets, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, page 76:
text: The body politic, which, while it remained in repose, had presented a superficial appearance of health and vigour, was not under the necessity of straining every nerve in a wrestle for life or death, and was immediately found to be unequal to the exertion.
ref: 1851, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XI, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume III, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 62:
glosses: A situation in which people compete with each other; a contest, a struggle.
examples: text: War in Italy, universal spasm of wrestle there, being now the expectation of foolish mankind.
ref: 1858, Thomas Carlyle, “Double-marriage Shall Be or Shall Not Be”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book VI, page 118:
glosses: The action of contending or struggling.
Derived terms: arm-wrestle
thumb wrestle