Forms: 1 wriʓian, 3–5 wrien, 4–5 wryen (5 wryn), 4–7 wrie, 4–6 wrye, 5– wry; 5 wrey(e, Sc. 6 vrey (8 wray), 9 wree. [OE. wríʓian to strive, move or go forward, tend, wend (= OFris. wrigia to bend, stoop), perh. related to LG. wriggen (see WRIG v., and cf. BEWRY v.2).]
I. intr. † 1. a. To move, proceed or go; to turn, wend. (Only OE.) Obs.
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xxv. § 1. Þeah þu teo hwelcne boh ofdune to þære eorðan … swa þu hine alætst, swa sprincð he up & wriʓað wið his ʓecyndes.
a. 1000. Riddles, xxi[i]. 5. Hlaford min [= master of the plough] on woh færeð, weard æt steorte, wriʓað on wonge.
† b. To have a particular or specified tendency, disposition or inclination; to incline. Obs.
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xxv. § 1. Swa deð ælc ʓesceaft; wriʓað wið his ʓecyndes.
c. 1250. Will & Wit, 7, in O. E. Misc., 192. Hwenne so wil to wene wrieð.
13[?]. Erthe upon Erthe, 42. Wanne … eorþe toward eorþe þorw coueytise wryeþ.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. xxx. 78. He wylle cheuysse hym suche counceylle as he troweth wylle wryen to his purpoos.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, II. (1869), 114. For j wole þat þe tale be turned ooþer weys,… þat it turne … wryinge to my wurshipes.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par. James, v. 39 b. The fore tokens of a mynde that wryeth downe vnto desperacyon.
1581. Pettie, trans. Guazzo’s Civ. Conv., I. (1586), 23. I mean those, who though sprinkled with some imperfections, yet wrie rather to the good, then the euill.
† 2. Of persons: To move or go, to swerve or turn, aside, away, or awayward. Also in fig. context.
c. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., xv. 48. Þat feyre … wrieþ awey as hue were wroht.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 97. With hir heed sche wryed fast awey.
1426. Audelay, Poems, 18. To the worchip of this world thai wryn fro me away.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, I. 112. Ȝet ȝe wryeth away and grucched to come to me.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cxlvi. 176. Than the kyng wryed away fro hym, and commaunded to sende for ye hangman.
1534. More, Comf. agst. Trib., I. Wks. 1162/1. Of wickednes thei wrie awaye and … turne to theyr fleshe for helpe.
† b. In similar use without adverb. Obs.
c. 1400. 26 Pol. Poems, 26. Ȝif she grucche wiþ þe to rage, And alway fro the wole wrye.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 1352. The steward saw that, and did wry, And drew him som dele aside.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxx. 7. That wrecche may not wrye fro my wrekis.
a. 1500. Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510), S iij. He that clymeth ouer hye May happe somtyme to wrye.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, III. 56. Paris wried at last, and so the blowe did shunne.
1596. Davies, Orchestra, lxiii. As when a Nimph … Leadeth a daunce…, she wries to euery hand And euery way doth crosse the fertile plaine.
1621. Sanderson, Serm. ad Pop., iv. ¶ 3. Like a young unbroken thing that hath metal, and is free, but is ever wrying the wrong way.
fig. 1581. T. Howell, Deuises, G ij b. How fayned friends do fayle, if fate doe wrye.
1593. Q. Eliz., Boeth., I. met. i. 2. O with how defe eare she from wretched wries.
† c. fig. To deviate or swerve from the right or proper course; to go wrong, to err. Also with advs., as amiss, aside. Obs.
c. 1369. Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 627. An ydole of false purtraiture Is she, for she woll sone wrien [v.r. varien].
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, II. 84. Þat no manere mede shulde make him wrye, For to trien a trouthe be-twynne two sidis.
1426. Audelay, Poems, 47. He … wrys away fro Godys word to his wyckydnes. Ibid., 50. Wry not fro Godis word.
1548. Patten, Exped. Scotl., Pref. c v. If ye … wilfully wrye so far from hys truth.
a. 1557. Mrs. M. Basset, trans. More’s Treat. Passion, M.’s Wks. 1365/2. Yf we of oure owne frowardnes wrye not a contrary way, but be readye … to folowe hys most blessed will.
1568. T. Howell, Arb. Amitie (1879), 40. How much a man the greater is, By his Offence that wries amisse.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., V. i. 5. How many Must murther Wiues much better then themselues For wrying but a little?
1632. Sanderson, Serm., II. 27. By wrying aside in some one or a few particulars, he may … offend the Lord. Ibid. (1634), I. 63. These wry too much on the right hand, ascribing to the holy scripture such a kind of perfection as it cannot have.
† 3. Of things: To turn aside or obliquely; to undergo deflexion, twisting or bending; to bend, wind; to turn from side to side.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, II. 906. Þe sonne Gan … downward for to wrye.
c. 1400. Beryn, 2791. Then shalt þowe se an entre,… Thouȝe it be streyt to-fore,… It growith more & more, & as a dentour wriythe.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 347. Thi somer hous northest & west let wrie.
c. 1450. Ludus Coventriæ, 229. Þe patthe be-twyn bothyn þat may not wry Schal be hope and drede to walke in perfectly.
1553. M. Wood, trans. Gardiner’s True Obedience, 49 b. The decaied partes of their power (whose building … hath wried on the one side long ago).
1565. B. Googe, trans. Palingenius’ Zodiac, VII. Y v b. Perchaunce … The liuely spirite enclosde … doth wrye as best it may, And striuing long through passage smal doth get at length away.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., V. xii. The first [part of the brain] with divers crooks and turnings wries.
† b. Of a horse: To hold the head or neck to one side. Obs.–1
1610. Markham, Masterp., I. xxxvi. 70. Holding his necke awry;… The cure is to let him bloud … on the contrary side to that way he wryeth.
4. To contort the limbs, features, etc., as from pain or agony; to wriggle; to undergo twisting or turning; = WRITHE v.1 10 b.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 660. He was wraþful i-wrouht & wried in angur.
a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., 338/381. On þe hed ponne [him] hard, Þat he go wryȝinge þenneward. Ibid., 477/46. Þe ffisch … wroþly wrieþ on þe Crok.
1493. Festyvall, Four Sermons, 21/2. As a galled horse that is touched on the sore wyncheth & wryeth.
1580. Blundevil, Art of Riding, III. xxii. 50 b. How to correct that Horse, which will mowe or wrie with his mouth.
c. 1590. J. Stewart, Roland Furious, VI. Poems (S.T.S.), II. 54. Scho schrinks, Scho vreyis, Scho vips for vo.
a. 1625. Fletcher, Woman’s Prize, III. i. She … wryes, and wriggles, As though she had the Itch.
1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 34. He saw the wretchit men Wreein’ and wreethin’ wi’ the pain.
1893. National Observer, 30 Dec., 165/2. His mouth kept wrying from side to side.
II. trans. † 5. To deflect or divert (a person or thing) from some course or in some direction; to cause to turn aside, away or back. Also refl. Obs.
a. 1400. Partonope, 6865. Of hym they had the victory [in the lists], So sore hir aduersaries dyd they wrey.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, V. xiv. 9. Baith to and fra al did thar nokkis wry [L. torquent]. Ibid., XI. xiv. 50. Latynis all thar ene about did wry [L. convertere].
1555. Phaër, Æneid, II. 65. His tacle to the left hand set, and sterne to left hand wried.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, III. (Arb.), 88. Right so to thee same boord thee maysters al wrye the vessels.
fig. c. 1425. Cast. Persev., 1675, in Macro Plays, 127. I wyl me wryen ffro wyckyd wreche.
1549. Chaloner, Erasm. on Folly, O ij. If he [sc. a prince] wrie himselfe never so little from that becometh hym.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, I. xviii. Our mindes … from the right line of vertue, are wryed to these crooked shifts.
1620. [G. Brydges], Horæ Subs., 148. Let not the parties ielousie … wrest or wry his iudgement in the least degree to preiudice.
1635. Pemble, Wks., 6. Ambition and tyrannie in Churchmen wryed their thoughts … to the advancement of their owne greatnesse.
1650. Trapp, Comm. Deut. xxxiii. 9. Not to be wryed or biassed by respect to carnal friends, is a high … point of self-denial.
† b. To avert (the head, face, etc.); to turn aside or away. Obs.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), I. xv. 11. Hit sytteth the nought to wrye awey thy face.
c. 1407. Lydg., Reson & Sens., 1413. She gan ay hir hede to wrye.
a. 1450. Myrc, Par. Pr., 776. Sum-what þy face from hyre þou wry.
1513. More, Rich. III., Wks. 70/1. The duke … wried hys hed an other way.
1560. Rolland, Seven Sages, 35. He wryit his face away and his visage.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, III. 55. Hector from his helmet then his countnance hauing wried,… the lots did turne.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xix. § 22. Buckingham … wried his face another way.
1655. J. Cotgrave, Wits Interpr. (1662), 276. When [he was] pressing for a kiss her head she wried.
† c. To change or alter (one’s course). Obs.–1
1598. Q. Eliz., Plutarch, i. 13. His course … wryed was to east, the sons arising place.
† 6. To curve, inflect, bend. Obs.–1
c. 1450. Hymns Virg. (1867), 122. The rayn bowe iwryyd schalle be.
7. To twist or turn (the body, neck, etc.) round or about; to contort, wring, wrench; to writhe. Also with advs., as † a-doyle.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 285. Wrye not youre nek a doyle as hit were a dawe.
1593. [see WRING v. 2, quot. a. 1586].
1598. Q. Eliz., Plutarch, xii. 14. Diogines … bak wrying and turning nek in casting on her Looke.
1607. Markham, Cavel., I. (1617), 39. If you see her wrie her taile.
1656. Earl Monm., trans. Boccalini’s Advts. fr. Parnass., I. (1674), 132. Wrying his Body twenty several waies.
1676. Hobbes, Iliad, XVI. 248. Jove … granted him to save the ships from fire; But at returning safe his neck he wri’d.
1725. Fam. Dict., s.v. Palsey, Let him be blooded in his Neck-Vein … on the contrary Side to the Way he wryes his Neck.
1800. Lamb, Lett., in Final Mem., vi. 51. Without much wrying my neck I can see the white sails.
b. To twist out of shape, form or relationship; to give a twist to; to pull, contort, make wry. Also fig. and in fig. context.
a. 1586. Sidney, Ps. XXII. vii. [My] loosed bones quite out of joynt be wried.
1594. Daniel, Cleopatra, V. ii. In her sinking downe shee wryes The Diadem which … shee wore.
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits, 281. The heat … wrieth the proportion of the face.
1665. J. Spencer, Prodigies, 254. They are a Nose of Wax which may be wry’d to what figure … Fancy shall impose upon them.
1679. Hobbes, Behemoth (1840), 217. They are, for the most part, Latin and Greek words, wryed a little at the point, towards the native language.
1686. G. Stuart, Joco-Ser. Disc., 41. The Todd will … wry about the Neck o’ th’ Cock.
1727. Swift, God’s Revenge agst. Punning. The Lord mercifully spared his neck, but as a mark of reprobation wryed his nose.
1842. Browning, In a Gondola, 47. Guests by hundreds—not one caring If the dear host’s neck were wried.
1855. Bailey, Mystic, etc., 69. Some Titanian arm, Whose elbow, jogged by earthquakes, wryed the pole.
1861. Swinburne, Queen-Mother, I. i. I know him by the setting of his neck, The mask is wried there.
1883. R. W. Dixon, Mano, II. iv. 78. I put on those arms which he … From the dead body had begun to wry.
† c. fig. To wrest the meaning of; = WRITHE v.1 7. Obs.
1521. Fisher, Sermon agst. Luther, iv. D v. Men of fell wyttes … [who] had the propre fayth to wrye & to torcasse the scryptures.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Matt. xiii. 59 b. False Apostles … whyche wresteth and wryeth by subtyll interpretacion, the heauenly doctrine after their lustes.
1564. Brief Exam., *** ij. You do wrye this place from his naturall sense.
1631. R. Byfield, Doctr. Sabb., 156. This Alleager … wryeth the sense.
1649. Bp. Reynolds, Hosea, vii. 136. Take heed of wresting and wrying that to the corrupt fancies of our owne evill hearts.
† d. To pervert. Obs.
1563. Mirr. Mag., Hastings, xlvii. Alas, are counsels wryed to catch the goode.
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Flyting, 754. The thingis I said, gif þow wald now deny, Weining to wry þe veritie with wylis.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. vi. Publique defences neglected; and in summe … all awrie, and (which wried it to the most wrie course of all) witte abused.
1620. E. Blount, Horæ Subs., 148. Let not the parties ielousie … wrest or wry his iudgement in the least degree to preiudice.
e. poet. To distort the judgment of; to warp.
1861. Swinburne, Queen-Mother, I. ii. Hen. This fool is wried with wine. Mar. French air hath nipped his brains.
f. poet. To turn, change or alter (a color).
1865. Swinburne, Poems & Ball., At Eleusis, 181. Ill slant eyes interpret the straight sun, But in their scope its white is wried to black.
† 8. absol. = WRING v. 4 c. Obs. rare–1.
14[?]. Chaucer’s Merch. T., 341 (Petw. MS.). But I woote best wher wrieþ my shoo.
9. To twist or distort (the face or mouth), esp. so as to manifest disgust or distaste; = WRITHE v. 5 b. Also refl.
a. 1510. Douglas, K. Hart, II. 96. Her face scho wryit about for propir teyne.
1552. Huloet, Wryinge the mouth in waye of derision, valgulatio.
1554[?]. Coverdale, Hope of Faithful (1574), 150. Though ye wry your mouthes at it.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 173. Winking with their eyes and wrying their faces at me.
1681. Colvil, Whigs Supplic. (1751), 81. He wry’d his mouth, and knit his brows.
1691. Mrs. D’Anvers, Academia, 56. He dare not wry his Mouth to laugh.
a. 1779. D. Graham, Writ. (1883), II. 92. I made my eyes to roll, and wrayed my face in a frightful manner.
1857. Heavysege, Saul (1869), 291. Bitter is bitter, though the lips be not Allowed to wry themselves thereat.
1888. Sat. Rev., 1 Dec., 650/1. The tonics … were bitter enough to wry the palate.
1898. M. Hewlett, Forest Lovers, xv. She wried her mouth to a smile.
† 10. To roll, wrap, or wind up. Obs.–1
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 128. I take the seed … to be a cluster of bubbles wryed up snug.
