▪ I. wresting, vbl. n.
(ˈrɛstɪŋ)
[f. as prec. + -ing1.]
1. The action of twisting, or turning awry; the fact of being wrested. Also with off.
| 1398 [see wrenching vbl. n. 1]. 1548 Elyot, Torsio,..a writhyng, a wrestyng. 1578 Lyte Dodoens 367 Branches which will not easily breake with wresting or playing. ? a 1600 Montgomerie's Cherrie & Slae 276 (Laing MS.), Ane fysche fanggit in þe net,.. With wreisting and thrysting, The faster stykis scho. a 1610 Healey Epictetus (1636) 79 In thy walkes thou hast a care to avoide..the wresting of thy feete. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Distorsion,..a wresting or wringing several Ways. 1730 Bailey (fol.), Sprain,..a violent Contorsion or Wresting of the Tendons of the Muscles. 1892 Zangwill Bow Mystery x. 135 Never dreaming the wresting off [sc. of a staple] had been done beforehand. |
| transf. 1632 Lithgow Trav. x. 480 The wresting of the Inquisition vpon me. |
† b. Adjustment of the strings of a musical instrument by tightening with a wrest; tuning in this way. Also in fig. context. Obs.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 341 Many men failen in þis wrastyng [of a harp] & in goostly syngyng aftur. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 533/2 Wrestynge, plectura, plexura. c 1500 Proverbis in Antiq. Rep. (1809) IV. 407 A slac strynge in a Virgynall..dothe abyde no wrestinge, it is so louse and light. 1530 Rastell Bk. Purgat. ii. xviii. e 1 b, A harper..occupyed about y⊇ wrastynge of his harpe strynges. 1579 W. Wilkinson Confut. Fam. Love 26 b, When he..with writhyng and wrestyng had brought his heresie into tune. 1627 Hakewill Apol. ii. i. §4 The wresting of a string too high marres the musick. |
c. fig. The action of taking away or obtaining by force; exaction; extortion.
| 1611 Cotgr., Extorsion,..a violent wringing, or wresting of things from others. 1694 tr. Milton's Lett. State Wks. 1851 VIII. 339 The wresting of the Kingdom of Poland from Papal Subjection. 1721 Bailey, Extortion, an unlawful and violent wresting of Money, &c. from any Man. 1853 Kingsley Misc. (1859) I. 289 His wresting from her the secret which had been locked for ages in the ice caves. |
† d. With in: (see wrest v. 1 c). Obs.
| 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. 124 The vnpleasantnesse of it commeth of the wresting in of the point. |
2. Perversion, distortion, or deflection of the meaning, interpretation, or application; misinterpretation; an instance of this.
| c 1444 Pecock Donet 140 Prechers ben woned to wrynge oute of a worde alle maters whiche to hem liken, bi wrasting of sillablis and of lettris. Ibid. 142. 1550 Bale Eng. Votaries ii. 66 Blasphemouse bablynges and abhomynable wrastynges of the scriptures. 1579 Fulke Heskins' Parl. 473 He hath nothing that may not bee reasonably construed on our side without any wresting. 1587 Golding De Mornay xxix. 528 It were an vtter wresting of the Text, to conuey it any other way. 1610 Healey Theophrastus (1636) 4 A wresting of actions and wordes to the worse or sadder part. 1641 Milton Reform. i. Wks. 1851 III. 19 The ridiculous wresting of Scripture. 1690 Locke Govt. ii. iii. §20 A manifest perverting of Justice, and a barefac'd wresting of the Laws. 1711 Atterbury Serm. (1734) I. 267 Expressions..so bright and clear, as should prevent all possible Wrestings and Misconstructions. a 1774 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1777) III. ii. 61 Aiming to find out such a sense of them [sc. principles of human reason], without violence or wresting, as may coincide or prove reconcileable therewith. 1864 Pusey Lect. Daniel i. (1876) 5 If a prophecy..admitted of no wresting. |
† 3. The action of contending or struggling; an instance of this. Obs.
| 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 180 Be lowly not sollen, if ought go amisse, What wresting may loose thee, that winne with a kisse. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 355 Their dayly exercise then was a continuall wresting agaynst the world, and the Devill. 1613–8 Daniel Coll. Hist. Eng. (1626) 140 Discontentment still goes on, and neither side get any thing but by hard wrestings. |
† 4. Griping or wringing pain. Obs.—1
| 1546 T. Phaer Regim. Life 59 In suche a disease, the glystre muste be greate in quantitie, or els ye shulde make wrestynge & roumblynge in y⊇ bellye. |
5. Comb., as † wresting-vice, stick, one suitable for or used in wresting or twisting; wresting thread Shetland dial., a thread wound or tied round a sprained or injured limb as a charm to effect a cure.
| 1568 W. Skinner tr. Montanus Inquis. (1569) 26 b, Hys armes..are bound with very stiffe and small cordes..which afterwards they straine with certaine stiffe wresting stickes or troncheons. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. 9 The hang⁓man prepared both hookes and wresting-vices. 1616 [see wrest n. 1 c]. 1840 New Statist. Acc. (1845) XV. 141 The ‘wresting thread’..is a thread spun from black wool, on which are cast nine knots, and tied round a sprained leg or arm. 1883 R. M. Fergusson Rambling Sk. 122 When a person received a sprain the Wrestin Thread was cast. |
▪ II. ˈwresting, ppl. a. rare.
[f. as prec. + -ing2.]
That wrests or twists; in quot. fig.
| c 1520 Skelton Magnyf. 1608 Let your Lust and Lykynge stande for a lawe. Be wrastynge and wrythynge, and away drawe. |
Hence ˈwrestingly adv.
| 1613 R. Yong in Zouch Dove A 3 b, But Love breaks forth,..And wrestingly, out of my wonted lynes, It makes me shuffle in these hobling rymes. |