Writhe (?), v. t. [imp. Writhed (?); p. p. Writhed, Obs. or Poetic Writhen (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Writhing.] [OE. writhen, AS. wrī&unr_;an to twist; akin to OHG. rīdan, Icel. rī&unr_;a, Sw. vrida, Dan. vride. Cf. Wreathe, Wrest, Wroth.]
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1. To twist; to turn; now, usually, to twist or turn so as to distort; to wring. “With writhing [turning] of a pin.” Chaucer.
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Then Satan first knew pain,
And writhed him to and fro. Milton.
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Her mouth she writhed, her forehead taught to frown. Dryden.
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His battle-writhen arms, and mighty hands. Tennyson.
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2. To wrest; to distort; to pervert.
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The reason which he yieldeth showeth the least part of his meaning to be that whereunto his words are writhed. Hooker.
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3. To extort; to wring; to wrest. [R.]
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The nobility hesitated not to follow the example of their sovereign in writhing money from them by every species of oppression. Sir W. Scott.
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