writhen, ppl. a.
(ˈrɪð(ə)n)
Also 4 writhun, 6 -yne, 4– wrythen.
[pa. pple. of writhe v.1 Cf. wreathen ppl. a.]
1. Subjected to writhing, twisting, or turning; twisted out of regular shape or form; contorted; † also, closed, clenched (quot. 1377). a. Of things.
| 13.. K. Alis. 5723 (Laud MS.), A griselich best..; Teeþ he had so wreþen wriþen. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xvii. 174 Þe wrythen fuste, or the werkmanschip of fyngres. 1483 in Arnold's Chron. (1811) 116 Item a peir of coral beedis, the gawdies gilt wrythen. 1520 in Archaeologia LIII. 14 One playn paten chased yn the foote w{supt} a wrythen knope. 1564 W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. 44 b, A writhen arme of the tree. 1597 Bp. Hall Sat. iv. iv. 33 Some smoked beeve, Hang'd on a writhen wythe. 1611 Cotgr., Grugeons, the..most writhen fruit on a tree. 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. i. xx. 53 In Men this Neck is more long-round, narrow, and a little writhen. 1689 Moyle Sea Chyrurg. ii. xiii. 61 The Muscles bruised and writhen. 1725 Pope Odyss. viii. 506 Dread Jove (whose arm in vengeance forms The writhen bolt). 1747 Hooson Miner's Dict. U j b, Curl'd Stone..has..writhen Lumps in it. 1850 Allingham Poems, Music-master ii. xv, The writhen elder spreads its creamy bloom. 1865 Swinburne Poems & Ball., At Eleusis 72 That lame wisdom that has writhen feet. |
| fig. 1894 Stevenson & L. Osbourne Ebb Tide ii, ‘I'll give my father up,’ returned Herrick, with a writhen smile. |
b. Of persons, their features, etc.
| 1579–80 North Plutarch (1595) 1111 A bauld writhen man. 1598 Hakluyt Voy. I. 21 Their countenances [were] writhen and terrible. 1635 R. Johnson Hist. Tom a Lincolne ii. iii. (1682) G 3 b, Her cheeks..now appeared old and writhen. 1708 J. Philips Cyder i. 447 'Till, with a writhen Mouth,..He tastes the bitter Morsel. 1825 Scott Talism. xiv, My choice were rather..that my writhen features should blacken..in this evening's setting sun. 1888 Henley Bk. Verses 23 Her lip was gray and writhen. |
c. spec. Of antique glass or silver: having spirally twisted ornamentation.
| 1919 M. Percival Glass Collector viii. 115 The..writhen glasses of funnel shapes are survivors of the old Venetian tradition. 1935 Burlington Mag. Oct. 150/1 Light vertical flutings, matching the bowl and wrythen in delivery. 1960 Times 9 Feb. 20/7 A Henry VIII spoon with writhen finial. 1970 Canad. Antiques Collector Oct. 17 The jugs and bowls are decorated with writhen ornament. 1981 Times 31 Oct. 8/6 An Edward IV wrythen-knop spoon made in London about 1463. |
2. Combined or made by, subjected to, twining or plaiting; intertwined, entwined, or plaited. Cf. wreathen ppl. a. 2.
| a 900 Cynewulf Elene 24 Garas lixtan, wriðene wælhlencan; wordum & bordum hofon herecombol. 1382 Wyclif 1 Tim. ii. 9 Wymmen..ournynge hem silf, not in writhun heeris, ethir in gold,..but [etc.]. 1388 ― Ecclus. xlv. 12 Writhun reed threed. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode i. v. (1869) 3 A corde wel wrythen, þat bi places was knet. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §31 Pees and beanes..set..thre sheues together, the toppes vpwarde, and wrythen together. 1535 Coverdale Exod. xxxix. 15 Wrythen cheynes of pure golde. 1585 Higins Junius' Nomencl. 113/2 Corona pactilis,..a writhen garland. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. 221 Many cords of wrythen and twisted sinewes. 1671 J. Webster Metallogr. xiii. 212 A capillary or hairy piece..crisped and writhen together. 1733 T. Gent Hist. Rippon 57 They built an House..with Wrythen Wands or Boughs. 1876 Whitby Gloss. 224 Wrythen, pp...; intertwined. |
3. Disposed or arranged in coils, folds, or windings; formed or fashioned by or as by coiling, convolution, etc.
Cf. the earlier forwrithen ppl. a. (for- prefix1 8).
| c 1542 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) VI. 172 A writhyne rynge of golde. 1559 Morwyng Evonym. 77 Destilled in serpentins, or writhen, or crouked vessels. 1585 Higins Junius' Nomencl. 263/2 Linamentum tortile,..a rolled or writhen tent. a 1608 Dee Relat. Spir. i. (1659) 115 A Serpent..leaned upon her twice writhen taile. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 961 The wrythen rolls of the turbant. 1693 Dryden Ovid's Met. i. 454 His writhen Shell he takes. 1868 Morris Earthly Par. I. 258 [Full] of intertwining writhen snakes. |
† 4. fig. Wrested; perverted; deflected. Obs.
| 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utopia i. (1895) 91 A wrythen and wrested vnderstandynge of the same. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. xiii. 31 b, To fense themselues againste the crooked writhen suttleties with plaine and simple truthe. |
5. Comb., as writhen-faced, writhen-formed.
| 1594 Nashe Unfort. Trav. L 4 b, A wearish dwarfish writhen facde cobler. c 1861 J. T. Staton Rays fro' Loominary 115 A thing that's writhen-formt. |
Hence ˈwrithenness rare—0; ˈwrythening vbl. n. (see quot. 1960).
| 1727 Bailey, Tortness,..writhenness, wrinkledness. 1960 H. Hayward Antique Coll. 313/2 Wrythening, diagonally twisted or swirled ribbing or fluting on the bowl or stem of a glass vessel. 1967 S. Crompton Eng. Glass ii. 209 (caption) Jug in bottle-green glass with white wrythening. |