See Also: writhe(1)(dictionary)
writhe(2)(dictionary)
writhe(dictionary)

writhe(2) (iou)



writhe verb. , writhed.
[Old English wriTan corresp. to Old High German ridan, Old Norse riea, rel. to WREATHE verb, WROTH, from Germanic.]
I. verb trans.
a. Envelop or swathe (a thing) by winding or folding. OE-LME.
b. Confine or fasten with a cord etc.; bind, fetter. OE-LME.
c. Surround or wreathe with something. rare. E16-E18.
Twist, coil, (a thing); fashion into or into coils, folds, or a certain shape; arrange in a coiled or twisted form; distort by twisting. Freq. foll. by about. Now chiefly literary. OE.
C. Rossetti Who twisted her hair..And writhed it shining in serpent-coils. J. A. Symonds Snow lies..writhed into loveliest wreaths.
Unite, combine, or make by twisting, entwining, or plaiting; plait, intertwine. Freq. foll. by together. Long rare or obsolete exc. dial. OE.
Turn or wrench round or to one side; twist forcibly about. Now chiefly spec., twist about or about, contort, (the body, limbs, face, oneself, etc.). ME.
Milton Then Satan first knew pain, And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd. Steele A Way of appearing Wise by writhing the Head. W. Golding He moaned and writhed his body as if the grief were a physical pain.
b. fig. Divert, deflect, cause to turn away or incline, (from or to a person, course, etc.). Also foll. by to do. ME-M17.
Twist or wrench out of place, position, or relation. Freq. foll. by off, from. LME.
fig. Twist, strain, or pervert the meaning of (a word, passage, etc.); perversely misinterpret or misapply. M16-M17.
S. R. Gardiner The pelagians..searched out places of scripture, and writhed them violently..to their purpose.
Utter, speak out, with a writhe. rare. L19.
II. verb intrans.
Move in a turning or sinuous manner; change posture by twisting, twist about; spec. twist or contort the body, limbs, etc., (as if) in acute pain, distress, etc. Now also, suffer severe embarrassment or mental discomfort. ME.
M. Cholmondeley [He] lit the paper, and..watched it writhe under the..flame. G. Gissing When she awoke, it was to toss and writhe for hours in uttermost misery. R. Church I writhed under the lash of his tongue. Sara Maitland Phoebe had writhed in shame at the thought.
Change position or proceed with a writhing or twisting motion. Usu. with adverb (phr.). ME.
F. Tennyson Snakes writhed to their holes.
writhed adjective (now chiefly literary) that has undergone writhing, twisted; spec. (a) fashioned (as) by twisting or convolution; (b) (of the features etc.) contorted, wry: M16.
writher noun a person who writhes or twists LME.
writhing verbal noun the action of the verb; an instance of this: LME.
writhingly adverb in a writhing manner M16.