I. ˈrest verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English wresten, wrasten, from Old English wrǣstan to turn, twist, wrest; akin to Old Norse reista to wrest, wring, bend, Old English wrīthan to twist — more at writhe
transitive verb
1.
a. : to pull, force, or move by violent wringing or twisting movements
the rumble of freight being wrested ashore — Archie Binns
b. obsolete : to insert by forcible twisting or wrenching
2. : to gain with difficulty by or as if by coercive force, violent action, or steady determined labor
they wrest a narrow survival from their extreme environment — A.L.Kroeber
a tragedy that wrests poetry from what is sordid and properly colloquial — John Gassner
wrest control of the government from the military — W.J.Coughlin
3.
a. : to divert to an unintended, unnatural, or especially improper use
wrong of her to take life in her hands and try to wrest it to her own purpose — Agnes S. Turnbull
the evidence … was violently wrested to fit the narrowness of the theory — F.A.Pottle
b.
(1) : to misinterpret or misapply (a law) intentionally
wrest the laws so as to make officers appear guilty of offenses — Salvation Army Orders
(2) obsolete : to divert or prevent (as a legal proceeding) from a just action or decision
thou shalt not wrest judgment — Deut 16:19 (Authorized Version)
c. : to deflect or change from a true or normal bearing, significance, or interpretation : distort
every day they wrest my words — Ps 56:5 (Authorized Version)
intransitive verb
obsolete : to force one's way with violent effort
Synonyms: see wrench
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English wrest, wrast, from wresten, wrasten to wrest
1. : the action of wresting : wrench , twist
2. : a key or wrench formerly used for turning wrest pins in a harp, piano, or other stringed musical instrument
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration (influenced by wrest ) (II) of obsolete English dialect rest, reest, from Middle English rest, fr, Old English rēost
: the curved surface of a plow moldboard