wrist

American  

[rist] / rɪst /

noun

• wrists
  plural

1. the carpus or lower part of the forearm where it joins the hand.

2. the joint or articulation between the forearm and the hand.

3. the part of an article of clothing that fits around the wrist.

4. Machinery. wrist pin.

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wrist British  

/ rɪst /

noun

1. Technical name: carpus. anatomy the joint between the forearm and the hand

2. the part of a sleeve or glove that covers the wrist

3. machinery

   1. See wrist pin

   2. a joint in which a wrist pin forms the pivot

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wrist Idioms  

1. see slap on the wrist.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• wrists
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of wrist

before 950; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German Rist back of hand, Old Norse rist instep; akin to writhe

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Explanation

Your wrist is the joint between your arm and your hand. Without your wrists, it would be hard to play tennis — or even to wave goodbye to your friends. The wrist is a complicated joint that allows you to bend and rotate your hand in many different directions. The entire wrist area includes so many bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments that it's fairly easy to injure. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one common injury that's caused by repeated motion of the wrist. The word wrist stems from the German Rist, "back of the hand," and a root meaning "to turn or bend."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wrist wrists

He started working with a renowned quarterback guru, Jeff Christensen, who marveled at his new pupil’s obsessive work ethic as he perfected the twist of his torso and flick of his wrist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

He even missed time from a minor wrist injury suffered during a fall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Biles opened up about the health scare in a post on her Instagram Stories, sharing an image of her wrist covered with hospital bands.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 95,559 UK Biobank participants who wore wrist accelerometers for seven consecutive days and nights.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

Jack removes his baseball cap with a flick of his wrist, using its bill to scratch the top of his head.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

"Arboreality is fundamental to understanding primates - including ourselves - because it has shaped our body to a large degree: hands and feet, wrists and ankles, nails instead of claws, etc.,"

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

“Finding Emily,” which attempts to attract Gen Z to a romcom in which nobody fires webs out his wrists, seeks to update a trusted formula.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Rhys: I don’t, because my wrists have given up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

‘The ideal invention would be a light polyester air-conditioned undergarment, enclosed around the neck, wrists and ankles and battery operated.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

If the mango was ripe, its yellow juice would run down my wrists and make my hands sticky.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

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