wring
[ring]
- to twist forcibly: He wrung the chicken's neck.
- to twist and compress, or compress without twisting, in order to force out water or other liquid (often followed by out): to wring clothes.
- to extract or expel by twisting or compression (usually followed by out or from).
- to affect painfully by or as if by some contorting or compressing action.
- to clasp tightly with or without twisting: to wring one's hands in pain.
- to force (usually followed by off) by twisting.
- to extract or get by forceful effort or means (often followed by out).
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- to perform the action of wringing something.
- to writhe, as in anguish.
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- a wringing; forcible twist or squeeze.
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Origin of wring
before 900; Middle English wringen, Old English wringan; cognate with German ringen to wrestle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for wringing
Contemporary Examples
Some artists were just happy to have their music out [but] the labels were just wringing their hands.
He says the worst of it is in his neck, which on good days feels like someone is grabbing it rather than wringing it.
15 Rounds and Still Talking: Lt. Brian Murphy’s Story of the Oak Creek MassacreSimran Jeet Singh
August 5, 2013
Pundits are wringing their hands over the leaks emerging on how the Supreme Court decided Obamacare.
With a looming humanitarian disaster in Libya, Western nations are wringing their hands over what to do.
The wringing of his hands, the dropping of his ice cream into his lap.
Historical Examples
Never, never, wringing her hands, should she meet with a mistress she loved so well.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
Not unto me the strength be ascribed; not unto me the wringing of the expiation!'
Little DorritCharles Dickens
This one,' he added, wringing his hand again, 'that will be lost through me.'
Barnaby RudgeCharles Dickens
"You must go back the way you came," said the monkey, wringing the tears from its handkerchief.
Prince VanceEleanor Putnam
Swan pushed back from the table, wringing the coffee from his mustache.
The Flockmaster of Poison CreekGeorge W. Ogden
wring
- (often foll by out) to twist and compress to squeeze (a liquid) from (cloth, etc)
- (tr) to twist forciblywring its neck
- (tr) to clasp and twist (one's hands), esp in anguish
- (tr) to distresswring one's heart
- (tr) to grip (someone's hand) vigorously in greeting
- (tr) to obtain by or as if by forceful meanswring information out of
- (intr) to writhe with or as if with pain
- wringing wet soaking; drenched
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- an act or the process of wringing
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Word Origin
Old English wringan; related to Old High German ringan (German wringen), Gothic wrungō snare. See wrangle, wrong
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for wringing
wring
v.
Old English wringan "press, strain, wring, twist" (class III strong verb; past tense wrang, past participle wrungen), from Proto-Germanic *wrenganan (cf. Old English wringen "to wring, press out," Old Frisian wringa, Middle Dutch wringhen, Dutch wringen "to wring," Old High German ringan "to move to and fro, to twist," German ringen "to wrestle"), from PIE *wrengh- "to turn," nasalized variant of *wergh- "to turn," from root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper