▪ I. wrestling, vbl. n.
(ˈrɛslɪŋ)
[f. wrestle v. + -ing1.]
1. a. The action or exercise of two persons grappling or gripping in a contest of strength and adroitness, the one endeavouring to throw the other by tripping or overbalancing him; the fact of contending or throwing in this manner. Also in fig. context.
| a 1100 in Napier O.E. Glosses 122/1 Palestram, wræstlunge. c 1205 Lay. 1871 Þer wes muchel folc at þere wrastlinge. a 1250 Owl & Night. 795 Ȝif tueie men goþ to wraslinge. a 1300 Cursor M. 28526 At wrestelyng, at wake, rengd haf i. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 8873 What wiþ wristling, wat wiþ togging. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 548 Ouer al ther he cam, At wrastlynge he wolde haue alwey the Ram. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. i. vi. 356 To se how þat this Coryne Wald deil wiþ him in wresslyne. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xiv. 350 He..caught the kynge..by the waast in maner of wrastelynge. 1539 Elyot Cast. Helthe 50 b, Wrastlyng also with the armes and legges..dothe exercise the one and the other. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 152 The weaker hath the woorse, in wrestlyng alway. 1613 Dekker Strange Horse Race Wks. (Grosart) III. 325 There could I describe what warlike Races the Winds held with the Waters: their Wrastling, Running, Retiring. 1644 Milton Educ. 7 They must be also practiz'd in all the locks and gripes of wrastling. 1701 Collier M. Aurel. 125 The right Knack of Living resembles Wrastling more than Dancing. 1789 W. Buchan Dom. Med. (1790) 41 The fatal effects of carrying great weights, running, wrestling, and the like. 1801 Strutt Sports & Past. ii. 64 The wrestling is only practised on the afternoon of St. Bartholomew's day. 1850 Maurice Mor. & Met. Philos. (ed. 2) I. 126 Some say that Plato..gained a prize for wrestling at the Isthmian games. 1901 W. Churchill Crisis ii. vi. 162 He an' de Colonel done commence wrastlin' 'bout a man name o' Linkum [sc. Lincoln]. 1930 Amer. Speech V. 494 Did any boy of the latter part of the last century ever wrestle? Ozarkers are not peculiar in their rasseling. 1975 New Yorker 1 Sept. 21/3 Mr. Hayes betrayed this when he mispronounced ‘wrestling’; he called it ‘wrestling’. Most self-respecting promoters, like Sid Morse, of Saginaw, Michigan, know that the correct pronunciation is ‘rasslin’. 1976 L. Deighton Twinkle, twinkle, Little Spy xiii. 133 Crude Yankee wrassling, was it? Not the kind of cricket you play at Lord's? |
b. With
the. The sport of grappling and throwing; a contest in wrestling; a wrestling-match.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 318 Ich..biheold hit, & oðe wrastlinge & oðer fol gomenes. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 517 Þe wrastlinge bitvene hom was somdel toȝt. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 1800 On a clyf faste by þe se Þe wrastlyng was ordeyned to be. c 1400 Gamelyn 190 Towardes þe wrasteling þe yong childe rode. c 1430 How the Good Wijf 81 in Babees Bk. 40 Go not to þe wrastelinge, ne to schotynge at cok. 1518 in Leadam Star Chamber Cases (Selden) II. 154 The wrestlyng at Seynt Jamys tide. 1598 Stow Surv. (1603) 524 This yeare was a great fray at the wrastling. 1661 Pepys Diary 28 June, Went to Moorefields..and saw the wrestling..between the north and west countrymen. 1725 Pope Odyssey viii. 104 None in the leap spring with so strong a bound, Or firmer, in the wrestling, press the ground. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXVII. 588/1 Leaping and running..generally accompany the wrestling as prize games. 1893 Robinson & Gilpin Wrestling & Wrestlers 189 He went..to Newcastle, and won the wrestling there. |
c. With
a and
pl. A wrestling-bout or match.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 992 Ȝyf þou euer settyst swerde eyþer ryng For to gadyr a wrastlyng. Ibid. 8987 Karolles, wrastlynges, or somour games. c 1400 Gamelyn 171 Ther was ther be siden cried a wrastelynge. c 1440 Jacob's Well 291 Leuyth ȝoure rennyng on holy-dayes to wrestelynges, markettys, & feyris. c 1450 J. Capgrave St. Gilbert 65 Thei..vsed not to renne to wrastillingis, ber⁓baytingis and swech oþir onthrifty occupaciones. 1556 Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 6 Thys yere was one John Norwelde..slayne at Blackehethe at a wrestlynge. 1578 H. Wotton Courtlie Controv. 37 Great preparation was made of stage plays,..wrastlings, and other infinite pastymes. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xxiii. 610 Pelides then set forth Prize for a wrastling. 1683 in Verney Mem. (1904) II. 339 Where the wrestlings are used to be in Lincoln's Inn fields. 1893 Robinson & Gilpin Wrestling 11 [He] stood unrivalled in all the wrestlings. |
2. a. The action of striving or contending, maintenance of resistance, opposition, or strife, on the part of persons.
| c 890 Wærferth tr. Gregory's Dial. 320 Swa wæs þær þa seo wræstlung ymb Stephanum. Ibid. 321 He þa..ut ferde of lichaman to ᵹewinne & to wræstlunge lifes & deaðes. a 1400 New Test. (Paues) Ephes. vi. 12 For ȝoure wrastlynge..is..aȝeyn princes. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xxxix. 54 So this wrastlyng endured a long space; but fynally the knyght was rescued. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. v. 19 b, [To] make ye redy to this wrastling, if ye esteme the blessed rewardes of the gospell. 1632 Lithgow Trav. vi. 294 With sore Wrestling agaynst the parching Sun. 1642 Declar. Lords & Comm. 23 Sept. 9 Our wrastling, and striving with that fierce and peremptory opposition. a 1844 in Stanley Arnold I. ii. 31 His absolute wrestling with evil. 1883 Knowledge June 334/1 That heavy and subtle wrestling for position which distinguishes the first-class player [of chess]. |
| transf. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 279 The river having with a great turning compasse after much wrestling, gotten out towards the North. 1654 R. Codrington tr. Iustine iv. 74 This concurse and wrastling of the water. |
| fig. 1534 More Treat. Passion Wks. 1347/1 Hys catholike faythe..euer continue shal whyle this worlde last, what wrestlyng soeuer the infideles shall make with it. 1639 S. Du Verger tr. Camus' Admir. Events 227 How unequall is the wrastling between reason and passion in a weake spirit. 1849 Robertson Serm. i. iii. (1866) 45 Language which describes the wrestling of the soul. 1872 Morley Voltaire (1886) 2 Life as a long wrestling with unseen and invisible forces of grace. |
b. The action of struggling or labouring.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 238 Al þus,..iðe wrastlunge [printed winstlunge] of tentaciun, ariseð þe biȝeate. a 1225 [see wraggle v. 1]. c 1450 Mirk's Festial i. 61 And so yn wrastelyng, scho woke of hyr slepe. 1563 Pilkington Burnynge of Paules Ch. M iiij, Saint Willyams horse,..wyth wrastlynge and sparringe vppe, saued himselfe and his master from drowninge. |
| fig. 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuff Wks. (Grosart) V. 252 Which it will be no impeachment for the wisest to turne loose for a trueth, without any diffident wrastling with it. |
c. The action of striving earnestly in prayer; an instance of this.
| 1722 Wodrow Corr. (1843) II. 664 You have our prayers here, and..the Church of Scotland has a share in your wrestlings. 1818 J. Pye Smith Script. Test. to Messiah I. 96 The ‘wrestlings’ of holy prayer. 1902 A. M{supc}Ilroy Druid's Island viii, After deep conseederation, an' sore wrastlin' wi' the Almichty in prayer. |
3. attrib. and
Comb., as
wrestling article,
wrestling bout,
† wrestling game,
wrestling-house,
wrestling-master,
wrestling-match,
wrestling ring;
wrestling place, a place where wrestling is practised or held;
† wrestling pull, a bout of wrestling;
= pull n.2 3;
wrestling school Gr. Antiq. = palæstra a.
| 1714 T. Parkyns Inn-Play 62 To make these *Wrestling Articles yet more stronge they may be with a Noverint Universi. |
| 1869 H. F. Tozer Highl. Turkey II. 237 [The ballads] treat..of *wrestling bouts with Charon. |
| 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. ix. 43 Coridon..Did chalenge Calidore to *wrestling game. 1874 Symonds Sk. Italy & Greece 8 The olives here tell more to us of Olivet..than of..the wrestling-ground. |
| 1848 B. D. Walsh Aristoph., Clouds iii. iii, This is the talk which daily..crowds the Bagnios, and drains the *Wrestling-houses! |
| 1714 T. Parkyns Inn-Play 15 Since the Diluvians..have been celebrated *Wrestling Masters. 1820 T. Mitchell Aristoph. I. 272 Say further what the wrestling-master Instructed you. |
| a 1700 Evelyn Diary 19 Feb. 1667, A *wrestling-match for {pstlg}1000..before his Ma[jes]ty. 1889 W. Armstrong Wrestling 233 What a Lancashire wrestling-match is like. 1974 Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) 27 Oct. 2-c/1 Even the second Ali-Frazier fight became a financial success for the promoters after Ali put on his rassling match with Frazier during that TV interview. |
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 533/2 *Wrestelynge place, palestra. 1556 Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 42 At Clarkenwell at the wrestlynge place. a 1592 Greene Deb. betw. Follie & Love Wks. (Grosart) IV. 218 Hath not Follie inuented a thousand deuices to drawe a man from idlenesse, as..Dancing schooles, Fencing houses, wrastling places? 1610 Healey Theophrastus (1636) 23, I pray you whose wrestling place is this? |
| 1602 Carew Cornwall 2 This *wrastling pull betweene Corineus and Gogmagog. |
| 1695 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) III. 461 The *wrestling ring in Lincolns Inn Feilds. 1893 Robinson & Gilpin Wrestling & Wrestlers 52 [He] would not be quick enough in his movements in the wrestling ring. |
| 1835 Thirlwall Greece vii. I. 290 The exercises of the troop in..the *wrestling-school. |
| 1623 Cockeram, Gymnasticke, a teacher of the *Wrastling Science. 1893 Robinson & Gilpin Wrestling & Wrestlers 9 Old and young regarded wrestling science..with keen relish. |
| 1869 Blackmore Lorna D. xxvi, When I be in *wrestling trim. |
▪ II. ˈwrestling, ppl. a. [f. as prec. + -ing2.] 1. That wrestles or contends, in various senses. Also
transf.| a 1547 Surrey æneid ii. 531 As wrastling windes, out of dispersed whirl Befight themselues. 1593 Nashe Christ's T. Wks. (Grosart) IV. 156 Your paine shalbe..wrastling, tearing, and intollerable. 1597 C. Middleton Fam. Hist. Chinon vi. 38 His Father.., whome wrestling age had almost now layed along in hys graue. 1605 Z. Jones tr. Loyer's Specters 12 There was amongst the Greeks, a Diuell..named..the wrastling Diuell. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xix. 361 All their stall flies up in wrastling flame. 1632 Lithgow Trav. x. 465 The thundring noyse of my wrestling voyce. 1738 Wesley Ps. xxiv. vii, Thou the true wrestling Jacob art. 1847 Tennyson Princ. vii. 266 The wrestling thews that throw the world. 1889 W. Armstrong Wrestling 232 Wrestling men are impulsive beings. 1892 W. H. Hudson Naturalist in La Plata 366 How I saw and lost the noble wrestling frog [= wrestler frog]. |
2. Marked or characterized by strife or contention, or by earnest striving.
| a 1593 Marlowe tr. Lucan 299 His graue looke appeasd The wrastling tumult. 1620 T. Peyton Glasse of Time i. 50 That none by wrong oppression might Be crost, by cunning, wringing, wrestling guile. 1854 H. Miller Sch. & Schm. v. (1857) 98 It was impossible to avoid being struck with its wrestling earnestness and fervour. 1859 Geo. Eliot A. Bede xlvii, She poured forth her soul with the wrestling intensity of a last pleading. |