wring Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a twisting squeeze
    squeeze.
    • gave the wet cloth a wring
  2. verb twist and press out of shape
    distort; deform; contort.
  3. verb twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish
    wrench.
    • Wring one's hand
  4. verb obtain by coercion or intimidation
    extort; gouge; squeeze; rack.
    • They extorted money from the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the company boss
    • They squeezed money from the owner of the business by threatening him
  5. verb twist, squeeze, or compress in order to extract liquid
    • wring the towels

WordNet

Wring transitive verb
Etymology
OE. wringen, AS. wringan; akin to LG. & D. wringen, OHG. ringan to struggle, G. ringen, Sw. vränga to distort, Dan. vringle to twist. Cf. Wrangle, Wrench, Wrong.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Wrung obsolete Wringed ; present participle & verbal noun Wringing
Definitions
  1. 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.
  2. 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 That wring my soul, thou couldst not talk thus coldly. Addison.
  3. To distort; to pervert; to wrest.
    How dare men thus wring the Scriptures? Whitgift.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. (Naut.) To bend or strain out of its position; as, to wring a mast.
Wring intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To writhe; to twist, as with anguish.
    'T is all men's office to speak patience To those that wring under the load of sorrow. Shak.
    Look where the sister of the king of France Sits wringing of her hands, and beats her breast. Marlowe.
Wring noun
Definitions
  1. A writhing, as in anguish; a twisting; a griping. Obs. Bp. Hall.

Webster 1913