Wryngynge

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Twisting and squeezing a damp cloth to force water out of it ; extracting a confession or money from someone through pressure ; clasping and twisting one's hands in anguish or worry
2. Squeezing moisture out of fabric by tightly turning it ; coercing a person into yielding information or payment ; writhing one's hands together out of grief or anxiety
3. Twisting something tightly to drain it of water ; pressing or coercing someone to surrender a secret or money ; anxiously gripping and contorting the hands in distress

Etymology: This is a Middle English spelling of "wringing," the present participle of "wring," which in Old English was "wringan," meaning to twist, squeeze, or press out liquid. The verb has cognates in Dutch "wringen" and in German "ringen," which means "to wrestle" or "to struggle," a sense that points to the same idea of forcing and straining.