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tr.v. wrung (rŭng), wring·ing, wrings 1. a. To twist, squeeze, or compress, especially so as to extract liquid. Often used with out: wring out a wet towel. b. To extract (liquid) by twisting or compressing. Often used with out: wrung the water out of my bathing suit. 2. To wrench or twist forcibly or painfully: wring the neck of a chicken. 3. a. To clasp and twist or squeeze (one's hands), as in distress. b. To clasp firmly and shake (another's hand), as in congratulation. 4. To cause distress to; affect with painful emotion: a tale that wrings the heart. 5. To obtain or extract by applying force or pressure: wrung the truth out of the recalcitrant witness. n. The act or an instance of wringing. [Middle English wringen, from Old English wringan; see wer-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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