Wringan

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To twist or squeeze something tightly; to extract liquid or force through pressure; to cause distress or pain by twisting
2. To compress or contort an object by forceful twisting; to strain out moisture by pressing or twisting; to inflict discomfort by wrenching motion
3. To manipulate something by twisting or writhing it firmly; to compel the removal of fluid through rotational pressure; to cause anguish or tension through twisting action

Etymology: Wringan is the Old English ancestor of the modern verb "wring," and its story is mostly one of steady continuity: the core sense of twisting and squeezing has barely moved in over a thousand years. Its roots are Germanic, and it has cognates in several related languages, including Old Saxon, Old High German and Old Norse, all pointing to a common Germanic verb meaning to twist or press. Early uses are largely literal, describing the wringing of cloth, the twisting of a neck, or the squeezing of water out of wet material. The most striking shift is in the figurative use. Wringing came to describe emotional and physical pain, as when a heart is "wrung" with grief or hands are wrung in anguish. The image of twisting something tight until it gives up its contents became a way of describing the squeezing of the soul, and the phrase "wringing one's hands" carries that gesture of distress into English.

Synonyms: wring