Forms: α. 3–6 wreste, 5– wrest (7–9 rest), 5 wreeste, 6 wreast, Sc. wreist, 7 Sc. wriest, 8 rist. β. 4–5 wrayst(e, 5 wraist(e. γ. 5 wraaste, wrastt, 5–6 wrast(e. [f. the verb.]
I. 1. The action of twisting, wrenching or writhing; a twist, wrench; a tug or violent pull; † a turn of a tuning-peg (quot. 1501).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3462. Þair strut it was vn-stern stith, Wit wrathli wrestes [Gött. wraystes] aiþer writh.
a. 1400–50. Bk. Curtasye, 26, in Babees Bk., 300. First to the ryȝht honde þou shalle go, Sitthen to þo left honde þy neghe þou cast; To hom þou boghe withouten wrast.
c. 1500. Proverbis, in Antiq. Rep. (1809), IV. 406. Stoppide in the freytes they [sc. lute-strings] abydeth the pynnes wrest.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., II. iv. Thair instrumentis all maist war fidillis lang, But with a string quhilk neuer a wreist ȝeid wrang.
1575. Laneham, Lett. (1871), 53. With the wreast of a Cok [he] was sure of a coolar: water spurting vpward.
1611. Cotgr., Torse,… a wrest, wrinch; wrythe, wrying.
1883. A. Herschel, in Nature, March, 458. The time-rates of each of these momenta … are respectively angular moment or twirl (of a force-couple) and tractive moment or wrest (of a motor-couple).
fig. c. 1430. Lydg., Lyfe of our Lady (Caxton, ? 1484), I viii b. It causeth hertes no lenger to debate That partyd ben with the wreste of hate.
a. 1590. Greene, Orpharion, Wks. (Grosart), XII. 31. Loue,… if it be ouerstrained, cracketh at the first wrest.
1838. S. Bellamy, Betrayal, 126. In the strong wrest of supplication, then, sole travailing.
b. Extent of wresting; hence, reach of capacity; stretch, strain. rare–1.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., L ij b. Thou wert chosen to make an Oration…, in which (hauing toyled thy wits to theyr highest wrest) thou [etc.].
† c. Without article. Twist or coil. Obs.–1
a. 1575. trans. Pol. Virg. Eng. Hist. (Camden No. 36), 49. Thei hade for the moste parte long heare, withowte wrest or curle.
† d. Sc. A wrenching or spraining of the muscles; a sprain or strain. Obs.
1616. Orkney Witch Trial, in Dalyell, Darker Superstit. Scotl. (1834), 118. [To make] a wresting thread, and give it in the name of the Father, Sone, and the Holie Gaist,… it wald mak ony wrest of man or beast haill.
c. 1700. in Jas. Watson, Coll. Sc. Poems (1706), I. 60. It will be good against the Pine Of any Wriest or Strienzie.
1881. Paul, Past & Pres. Aberdeen., 15. Mr. Thomson then [= in 1698] being bed-rid by reason of a wrest in his ankle.
† 2. fig. An ill or evil turn; a trick. Obs.
14[?]. Sir Beues (E.), 1930. A made hire alway, to ete ferst, Lest þey deden him ony wrest.
c. 1440. York Myst., xvii. 187. Than shall we wayte þam with a wrest, And make all wast þat þei haue wroght.
† 3. The action of wresting, forcing or straining the meaning or purport of words, etc.; an instance of this. Obs.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 169 b. By what wrest of Logicke doth Osorius gather habilitie of Freewill out of the holy ordinaunces.
1597. J. Payne, Royal Exch., 22. They seke fauls armure by wrest of scripture.
a. 1603. T. Cartwright, Confut. Rhem. N. T. (1618), 467. Where the witnesse of the other hath often a wrest and tacke of her corruption. Ibid., 716. It is … partly falsification, partly a wrest of the Scripture.
1609. [Bp. W. Barlow], Answ. Nameless Cath., 38. To picke quarels at words, by wrests and streines, neither to purpose nor to sense.
II. techn. † 4. Surg. A peg for tightening a ligature by twisting. Obs.
c. 1370. Arderne, Practica (MS. Ashm. 1434), fol. 4. In quo foramine vnum vertile, anglice wrayst, imponatur.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 9. By middez of whiche wraiste in þe ouer ende shal be a litel hole.
5. An implement for tuning certain wire-stringed instruments, as the harp or spinet; a tuning-key. Now arch.
In ME. sometimes erron. used to render L. plectrum.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxi. (Bodl. MS.). Þe sowne of speking byndeþ wordes; as wreste [1495 wraste] … temperith þe strenges, so þe tonge smyteþ þe teeþ.
c. 1425. in Anglia, VIII. 109/31. Þis newe tymbrer settiþ … hir handys and fyngers for a wrast, þat is an instrument of organ-songe.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 533/2. Wreste of an harpe or other lyke, plectrum.
c. 1460. Liber Pluscardensis (1877), I. 392. Sal we the menstral wyt? Yha, bot he bent and pruf thaim [sc. the strings] with his wraist.
1504. Cornishe, in Skelton’s Wks. (1568), Z vij. A harper wt his wrest maye tune the harpe wrong.
1575. Laneham, Lett. (1871), 38. Hiz harp in good grace dependaunt before him: hiz wreast tyed to a green lace, and hanging by.
1612. in Halyburton’s Ledger (1867), 333. Wrests for virginals the groce, vi li.
1663. Pepys, Diary, 1 April. Calling on the virginall maker, buying a rest for myself to tune my tryangle. Ibid. (1668), 20 July. To buy a rest for my espinette at the ironmonger’s.
1793. Minstrel, I. 91. Beside it, suspended by a green lace, he hung the wrest, or key, by which it is tuned. [Cf. quot. 1575.]
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xliii. A silver chain, by which hung the wrest, or key, with which he tuned his harp.
1831. H. Neele, Rom. Hist., I. 201. Trying his harp strings, and with his wrest or screw tuning them to the proper pitch.
1861. W. F. Collier, Hist. Eng. Lit., 36. The distinctive badge of the [minstrel’s] profession was the wrest or tuning-key.
transf. 1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxiii. (Bodl. MS.). Soune is … yschape with þe wraaste [L. plectrum] of þe tunge.
b. fig. and in fig. context.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VII., 3. There lacked a wrest to the harpe to set all the strynges in a monacorde and tune, which was the matrimony … betwene the kynge and … Elizabeth.
1603. J. Davies (Heref.), Microcosmos, Wks. (Grosart), I. 81/1. O let the longest Largs be shortest Briefes In this discordant Note, and turne the Wrest.
1613. Jas. I., Edict agst. Private Combats, 45. This small instrument the Tongue … being kept in tune by the wrest of awe.
c. Her. The figure of a ‘wrest’ used as a charge.
1572. Bossewell, Armorie, II. 87 b. His crest a wrest in crosse, Sol.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xvi. (Roxb.), 59/2. He beareth Argent, a Virginall Wrest sable.
† 6. a. An implement for wresting; a tool for turning bolts, nuts, etc.; a screw-key. Also fig.
1589. in Trans. Shropsh. Archæol. Soc. (1878), I. 12. iiij vice pynnes with a wrest for a field bedde.
1593. Rites & Mon. Ch. Durham (Surtees), 8. Two silver … Candlesticks for two tapers … to be taken in sunder with wrests.
1598. [see WRENCH sb.2 5].
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 4. Thie fellowship in feeding together is … a wrest that straineth and stretcheth benevolence to the utmost.
fig. a. 1592. Greene, Alcida (1617), E 4. Faith is the key that shuts the spring of loue, Lightnesse a wrest, that wringeth all awry.
† b. A machine for hoisting or hauling weights. Obs. rare.
1584. B. R., trans. Herodotus, II. 104. They deuised certayne engines or wrestes [Gr. μηχαναὶ] to heaue vp stones from the grounde,… hauyng vppon each stayre a wreast.
† c. (See quot.) Obs. rare–0.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 102/1. Wrest, is that by which Saw Teeth are set.
7. Special Combs., as wrest block, = wrest plank; wrest-pin, the peg or pin round which the ends of the wires or strings of certain musical instruments are coiled; a tuning-pin (also attrib.); wrest-plank, the board in a piano in which the wrest-pins are fixed (also attrib. and Comb.).
1787. H. Walton, Specif. of Patent No. 1607. The *rest block,… the damper…, and the rest pin … are made the same as they always are made in Grand Piano Fortes.
1783. J. Broadwood, Specif. of Patent No. 1379. 3. The *rist pins to which the strings are fixt.
1802. T. Loud, Specif. of Patent No. 2591. 2. The rest pin block.
1825. P. Erard, Specif. of Patent No. 5065. 2. The want of stability in the wrest pin plank.
1880. A. J. Hipkins, in Grove, Dict. Mus., II. 722/1. The tuning-pin screws … into the thick metal wrestpin-piece.
1799. J. Smith, Specif. of Patent No. 2345. 2. The Drawing … shows the *rest plank, trussed with wood.
1846. F. H. Burkinyoung, in Repert. Patent Invent. (1847), IX. 78. What is called, or known by, the rest plank bridge, is to be placed relatively on the board.
1881. Instr. Census Clerks (1885), 50. Piano Manufacturing:… Tuner. Turner. Wire Maker. Wrest Plank Maker.
