wring
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: rĭng
ipa: /ɹɪŋ/
rhymes: -ɪŋ
homophone: ring
Forms: form: wrings
Etymology: Partly:
* from Middle English wring, wringe (“twisting or wringing (of the neck)”), from Middle English wringen, wryngen (verb); and
* from the modern English verb.
See further at etymology 1.
Senses: examples: text: I grasped his hand and gave it a grateful wring.
text: The VVring by the hand, and the Banquet is ours.
ref: 1600 (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Cynthias Reuels, or The Fountayne of Selfe-Loue. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, Act V, scene iiii, page 250:
text: And hauing clipt them vvith pretence of loue, / Haue I not cruſht them vvith a cruell vvring?
ref: 1600 or 1601 (date written), I. M. [i.e., John Marston], Antonios Reuenge. The Second Part. […], London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, and are to be soulde [by Matthew Lownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act I, scene v, signature A3, verso:
text: Yet do I vnderſtand your darkeſt language, / Your treads ath'toe, your ſecret iogges and vvringes: / Your entercourſe of glaunces: euery tittle / Of your cloſe Amorous rites I vnderſtand, / They ſpeake as loud to mee, as if you ſaid, / My deareſt Dariotto, I am thine.
ref: 1604 (first performance), George Chapman, Al Fooles: A Comedy, […], London: […] [George Eld] for Thomas Thorpe, published 1605, →OCLC, Act II, signature [D4], verso:
text: Martha was ever the more active. She, that was before so busily stirring in her house to entertain Jesus, was now as nimble to go forth of her house to meet him. She, in whose face joy had wont to smile upon so Blessed a guest, now salutes him with the sighs and tears and blubbers and wrings of a disconsolate manner.
ref: 1612–1626, Joseph Hall, “[Contemplations upon the Principal Passages in the Holy Story. Book IV.] Lazarus Raised.”, in Josiah Pratt, editor, The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Hall, D.D. […], volume II (Contemplations), London: […] C[harles] Whittingham, […]; for Williams and Smith, […], published 1808, →OCLC, part II (Contemplations on the New Testament), pages 443–444:
text: Lo[ry]. […] I have been in a lamentable fright, Sir, ever ſince your Conſcience had the Impudence to intrude into your Company. / Y[oung] Faſ[hion]. Be at peace; it vvill come there no more: My Brother has given it a vvring by the Noſe, and I have kick'd it dovvn Stairs.
ref: 1696 November (first performance), [John Vanbrugh], The Relapse; or, Virtue in Danger: […], [London]: […] Samuel Briscoe […], published 1697, →OCLC, Act III, scene i, page 45:
text: […] James, with one wring of the hand, retreated, while old nurse was nearly hugged to death, declaring all the time that he didn't ought to have come in such a way, terrifying everyone out of their senses!
ref: 1856, [Charlotte Mary Yonge], chapter XVII, in The Daisy Chain; or, Aspirations. A Family Chronicle. […], London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […], →OCLC, part II, page 520:
text: He was still holding me by the wrist, and at that he gave it quite a wring.
ref: 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Man of the Island”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part III (My Shore Adventure), page 123:
text: I tried not to give his poor hand too much of a wring (another of my bad habits); but he took all I gave and even seemed to hang on for a little more.
ref: 1919, Henry B[lake] Fuller, “Cope Dines—and Tells About It”, in Bertram Cope’s Year: A Novel, Chicago, Ill.: Ralph Fletcher Seymour, The Alderbrink Press, →OCLC, page 63:
glosses: A powerful squeezing or twisting action.
examples: text: She had just got off her mare to look at the last wring-down of cider for the year; […]
ref: 1874, Thomas Hardy, “Converging Courses”, in Far from the Madding Crowd. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC, section III, page 274:
glosses: Followed by down: the product of wringing, such as cider or wine.
examples: text: Hens dung ſvvallovved [by a horse] by hap, bringeth frets and vvrings in the bellie: […]
ref: 1606, Charles Steuens [i.e., Charles Estienne]; John Liebault [i.e., Jean Liébault], “Of the Carter, or Horsekeeper”, in Richard Surflet, transl., Maison Rustique, or The Countrey Farme: […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield for Iohn Norton and Iohn Bill, →OCLC, book I, page 195:
text: [T]here vvas brought unto him an horſe named Babylonius, vvhich happening to be ſore vexed vvith a ſuddaine gripe or vvring in his belly, fell dovvne, and vvhiles hee vvas not able to endure the paine, vvallovveth along, and happeneth to beſprent his capariſon and ornaments richly garniſhed vvith gold and precious ſtones. At vvhich ſtrange ſight he tooke great joy, and cryed out, vvith the applauſe of thoſe next about him, That Babylon vvas fallen, and lay along on the ground diſpoyled of all her ornaments.
ref: 1609, Ammianus Marcellinus, “[The XXIII. Booke.] Chapter II. Being Departed out of Antioch, He was Troubled and Haunted with Strange Signes and Dreames: But afterwards Comforted againe by Sundrie Presages, and the Arrivall of a Most Puissant Armadoe, He Proceedeth in His Intended Voyage.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Roman Historie, […], London: […] Adam Jslip, →OCLC, pages 220–221:
text: When we have good dayes we slight them, when they are gone, we sinke under the wring of sorrow, for their losse; and want teacheth vs the worth of things more truely: and it is a true saying, Blessings appeare not, till they bee vanished.
ref: 1637, Robert Monro, “The First Observation”, in Monro his Expedition with the Worthy Scots Regiment (Called Mac-Keyes Regiment) Levied in August 1626. […], London: […] William Iones […], →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Jun 2023, page 3:
glosses: A sharp physical pain, especially in the abdomen; also, mental pain or distress.