Hypertext Webster Gateway: "writhing"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Writhe \Writhe\, v. t. [imp. {Writhed}; p. p. {Writhed}, Obs. or
Poetic {Writhen}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Writhing}.] [OE. writhen,
AS. wr[=i]?an to twist; akin to OHG. r[=i]dan, Icel. r[=i]?a,
Sw. vrida, Dan. vride. Cf. {Wreathe}, {Wrest}, {Wroth}.]
1. To twist; to turn; now, usually, to twist or turn so as to
distort; to wring. ``With writhing [turning] of a pin.''
--Chaucer.

Then Satan first knew pain, And writhed him to and
fro. --Milton.

Her mouth she writhed, her forehead taught to frown.
--Dryden.

His battle-writhen arms, and mighty hands.
--Tennyson.

2. To wrest; to distort; to pervert.

The reason which he yieldeth showeth the least part
of his meaning to be that whereunto his words are
writhed. --Hooker.

3. To extort; to wring; to wrest. [R.]

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

writhing
adj : having a twisting or snake-like or worm-like motion;
"squirming boys"; "wiggly worms"; "writhing snakes"
[syn: {squirming}, {twisting}, {wiggling}, {wiggly}, {wriggling},
{wriggly}]

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