Wrest (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wrested; p. pr. & vb. n. Wresting.] [OE. wresten, AS. wrstan; akin to wr a twisted band, and wrin to twist. See Writhe.]
1.
To turn; to twist; esp., to twist or extort by violence; to pull of force away by, or as if by, violent wringing or twisting.
"The secret
wrested from me."
Milton.
Our country's cause,
That drew our swords, now secret wrests them from our hand.
Addison.
They instantly wrested the government out of the hands of Hastings.
Macaulay.
2.
To turn from truth; to twist from its natural or proper use or meaning by violence; to pervert; to distort.
Wrest once the law to your authority.
Shak.
Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor.
Ex. xxiii. 6.
Their arts of wresting, corrupting, and false interpreting the holy text.
South.
3.
To tune with a wrest, or key.
[Obs.]
© Webster 1913.
Wrest, n.
1.
The act of wresting; a wrench; a violent twist; hence, distortion; perversion.
Hooker.
2.
Active or moving power.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
3.
A key to tune a stringed instrument of music.
The minstrel . . . wore round his neck a silver chain, by which hung the wrest, or key, with which he tuned his harp.
Sir W. Scott.
4.
A partition in a water wheel, by which the form of the buckets is determined.
Wrest pin Piano Manuf., one of the pins around which the ends of the wires are wound in a piano. Knight. -- Wrest plank Piano Manuf., the part in which the wrest pins are inserted.
© Webster 1913.