First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
wring
verb \ˈriŋ\
: to twist and squeeze (wet cloth, hair, etc.) to remove water
: to get (something) out of someone or something with a lot of effort
: to twist and break (an animal's neck) in order to kill the animal
wrung \ˈrəŋ\ wring·ing \ˈriŋ-iŋ\
Full Definition of WRING
transitive verb
1
: to squeeze or twist especially so as to make dry or to extract moisture or liquid <wring a towel dry>
2
: to extract or obtain by or as if by twisting and compressing <wring water from a towel> <wring a confession from the suspect>
3
a : to twist so as to strain or sprain into a distorted shape <I could wring your neck> b : to twist together (clasped hands) as a sign of anguish
intransitive verb
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Origin of WRING
Middle English, from Old English wringan; akin to Old High German ringan to struggle, Lithuanian rengtis to bend down, Old English wyrgan to strangle — more at worry
WRINGING Defined for Kids
wring
verb \ˈriŋ\
wrung \ˈrəŋ\wring·ing
Definition of WRING for Kids
1
: to twist or press so as to squeeze out moisture <Wring out your bathing suit.>
2
: to get by or as if by twisting or pressing <Police wrung a confession from the criminal.>
3
: to twist with a forceful or violent motion <He wrung the chicken's neck.>
4
: to affect as if by wringing <The bad news wrung our hearts.>
5
: to twist (hands) together as a sign of anguish
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