wring

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a twisting squeeze
  2. verb twist and press out of shape
  3. verb twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish

Etymology

From Middle English wringen, wryngen from Old English wringan (“to wring”), from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze, twist, wring”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wrenǵʰ-. Cognates * Ancient Greek ῥίμφα (rhímpha, “fast”) * Dutch wringen * Lithuanian reñgtis (“to bend down”) * Middle Low German wringen (Low German wringen) * Old Frisian *wringa (West Frisian wringe) * Old High German rinkan, ringan, ringan (Middle High German ringen, modern German wringen, German ringen (“to wrestle”))

In classic literature

Synonyms

squeeze

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading