Chapter 1907

Wrack , v. t. To rack; to torment. [R.]

Wrack <Xpage=1667>

Wrack , n. [OE. wrak wreck. See Wreck .]

1. Wreck; ruin; destruction. [Obs.] Chaucer. "A world devote to universal wrack ."

Milton.

<-- used now mainly in the phrase wrack and ruin -->

2. Any marine vegetation cast up on the shore, especially plants of the genera Fucus , Laminaria , and Zostera , which are most abundant on northern shores.

3. (Bot.) Coarse seaweed of any kind.

Wrack grass , or Grass wrack (Bot.) , eelgrass.

Wrack <Xpage=1667>

Wrack , v. t. To wreck. [Obs.]

Dryden.

Wrackful <Xpage=1667>

Wrack"ful (?) , a. Ruinous; destructive. [Obs.]

Wrain-bolt <Xpage=1667>

Wrain"-bolt` (?) , n. Same as Wringbolt .

Wraith <Xpage=1667>

Wraith (?) , n. [Scot. wraith , warth ; probably originally, a guardian angel, from Icel. v\'94r\'ebr a warden, guardian, akin to E. ward . See Ward a guard.]

1. An apparition of a person in his exact likeness, seen before death, or a little after; hence, an apparition; a specter; a vision; an unreal image. [Scot.]

She was uncertain if it were the gypsy or her wraith .

Sir W. Scott.

O, hollow wraith of dying fame. Tennyson.

2. Sometimes, improperly, a spirit thought to preside over the waters; -- called also water wraith .

M. G. Lewis.

Wrangle <Xpage=1667>

Wran"gle (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Wrangled (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Wrangling (?) .] [OE. wranglen to wrestle. See Wrong , Wring .]

1. To argue; to debate; to dispute. [Obs.]

2. To dispute angrily; to quarrel peevishly and noisily; to brawl; to altercate. "In spite of occasional wranglings ."

Macaulay.

For a score of kingdoms you should wrangle . Shak.

He did not know what it was to wrangle on indifferent points. Addison.

Wrangle <Xpage=1667>

Wran"gle , v. t. To involve in a quarrel or dispute; to embroil. [R.]

Bp. Sanderson.

Wrangle <Xpage=1667>

Wran"gle (?) , n. An angry dispute; a noisy quarrel; a squabble; an altercation.

Syn. -- Altercation; bickering; brawl; jar; jangle; contest; controversy. See Altercation .

Wrangler <Xpage=1667>

Wran"gler (?) , n. 1. An angry disputant; one who disputes with heat or peevishness. "Noisy and contentious wranglers ."

I. Watts.

2. One of those who stand in the first rank of honors in the University of Cambridge, England. They are called, according to their rank, senior wrangler , second wrangler , third wrangler , etc. Cf. Optime .

Wranglership <Xpage=1667>

Wran"gler*ship , n. The honor or position of being a wrangler at the University of Cambridge, England.

Wranglesome <Xpage=1667>

Wran"gle*some (?) , a. Contentious; quarrelsome. [Prov. Eng.]

Halliwell.

Wrannock, Wranny <Xpage=1667>

Wran"nock (?) , Wran"ny (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The common wren. [Prov. Eng.]

Wrap <Xpage=1667>

Wrap (?) , v. t. [A corrupt spelling of rap .] To snatch up; transport; -- chiefly used in the p. p. wrapt .

Lo! where the stripling, wrapt in wonder, roves. Beattie.

Wrap <Xpage=1667>

Wrap , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Wrapped (?) or Wrapt ; p. pr. & vb. n. Wrapping .] [OE. wrappen , probably akin to E. warp . \'fb144. Cf. Warp .]

1. To wind or fold together; to arrange in folds.

Then cometh Simon Peter, . . . and seeth . . . the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. John xx. 6, 7.

Like one that wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. Bryant.

2. To cover by winding or folding; to envelop completely; to involve; to infold; -- often with up .

I . . . wrapt in mist Of midnight vapor, glide obscure. Milton.

3. To conceal by enveloping or infolding; to hide; hence, to involve, as an effect or consequence; to be followed by.

Wise poets that wrap truth in tales. Carew.

To be wrapped up in , to be wholly engrossed in; to be entirely dependent on; to be covered with.

Leontine's young wife, in whom all his happiness was wrapped up , died in a few days after the death of her daughter. Addison.

Things reflected on in gross and transiently . . . are thought to be wrapped up in impenetrable obscurity. Locke.

Wrap <Xpage=1667>

Wrap , n. A wrapper; -- often used in the plural for blankets, furs, shawls, etc., used in riding or traveling.

Wrappage <Xpage=1667>

Wrap"page (?; 48) , n. 1. The act of wrapping.

2. That which wraps; envelope; covering.

Wrapper <Xpage=1667>

Wrap"per (?) , n. 1. One who, or that which, wraps.

2. That in which anything is wrapped, or inclosed; envelope; covering.

3. Specifically, a loose outer garment; an article of dress intended to be wrapped round the person; as, a morning wrapper ; a gentleman's wrapper .

Wraprascal <Xpage=1667>

Wrap"ras`cal (?) , n. A kind of coarse upper coat, or overcoat, formerly worn.

Wrasse <Xpage=1667>

Wrasse (?) , n. [W. gwrachen .] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of numerous edible, marine, spiny-finned fishes of the genus Labrus , of which several species are found in the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic coast of Europe. Many of the species are bright-colored.

&hand; Among the European species are the ballan wrasse ( Labrus maculatus ), the streaked wrasse ( L. lineatus ), the red wrasse ( L. mixtus ), the comber wrasse ( L. comber ), the blue-striped, or cook, wrasse (see Peacock fish , under Peacock ), the rainbow wrasse ( L. vulgaris ), and the seawife.

Wrastle <Xpage=1667>

Wras"tle (?) , v. i. [OE. wrastlen . See Wrestle .] To wrestle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Who wrastleth best naked, with oil enoint. Chaucer.

Wrath <Xpage=1667>

Wrath (?; 277) , n. [OE. wrathe , wra\'ed\'ede , wrethe , wr\'91\'eb\'ebe , AS. wr\'d6\'eb\'ebo , fr. wr\'be\'eb wroth; akin to Icel. rei\'ebi wrath. See Wroth , a. ]

1. Violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation; rage; fury; ire.

Wrath is a fire, and jealousy a weed. Spenser.

When the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased. Esther ii. 1.

Now smoking and frothing Its tumult and wrath in. Southey.

2. The effects of anger or indignation; the just punishment of an offense or a crime. "A revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

Rom. xiii. 4.

Syn. -- Anger; fury; rage; ire; vengeance; indignation; resentment; passion. See Anger .

Wrath <Xpage=1667>

Wrath , a. See Wroth . [Obs.]

Wrath <Xpage=1667>

Wrath , v. t. To anger; to enrage; -- also used impersonally. [Obs.] "I will not wrathen him."

Chaucer.

If him wratheth , be ywar and his way shun. Piers Plowman.

Wrathful <Xpage=1667>

Wrath"ful (?) , a. 1. Full of wrath; very angry; greatly incensed; ireful; passionate; as, a wrathful man .

2. Springing from, or expressing, wrath; as, a wrathful countenance . " Wrathful passions."

Sprat.

Syn. -- Furious; raging; indignant; resentful.

-- Wrath"ful*ly , adv. -- Wrath"ful*ness , n.

Wrathily <Xpage=1667>

Wrath"i*ly (?) , adv. In a wrathy manner; very angrily; wrathfully. [Colloq.]

Wrathless <Xpage=1667>

Wrath"less , a. Free from anger or wrath.

Waller.

Wrathy <Xpage=1667>

Wrath"y (?) , a. Very angry. [Colloq.]

Wraw <Xpage=1667>

Wraw (?) , a. [Cf. dial. Sw. vr\'86 willful, disobedient.] Angry; vexed; wrathful. [Obs.]

With this speech the cock wex wroth and wraw .

Chaucer.

Wrawful <Xpage=1667>

Wraw"ful (?) , a. Ill-tempered. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Wrawl <Xpage=1667>

Wrawl (?) , v. i. [Cf. Dan. vraale , Sw. vr\'86la to brawl, to roar, Dan. vraal a bawling, roaring, vr\'91le to cry, weep, whine.] To cry, as a cat; to waul. [Obs.]

Spenser.

<page="1668"> Page 1668

Wrawness <Xpage=1668>

Wraw"ness (?) , n. Peevishness; ill temper; anger. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Wray <Xpage=1668>

Wray (?) , v. t. [AS. wr<?/gan to accuse. See Bewray .] To reveal; to disclose. [Obs.]

To no wight thou shalt this counsel wray .

Chaucer.

Wreak <Xpage=1668>

Wreak (?) , v. i. To reck; to care. [Obs.]

Shak.

Wreak <Xpage=1668>

Wreak (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Wreaked (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Wreaking .] [OE. wrek<?/<?/ to revenge, punish, drive out, AS. wrecan ; akin to OFries. wreka , OS. wrekan to punish, D. wreken to avenge, G. r\'84chen , OHG. rehhan , Icel. reka to drive, to take vengeance, Goth. wrikan to persecute, Lith. vargas distress, vargti to suffer distress, L. urgere to drive, urge, Gr. <?/ to shut, Skr. <?/ to turn away. Cf. Urge , Wreck , Wretch .]

1. To revenge; to avenge. [Archaic]

He should wreake him on his foes. Chaucer.

Another's wrongs to wreak upon thyself. Spenser.

Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain. Fairfax.

2. To execute in vengeance or passion; to inflict; to hurl or drive; as, to wreak vengeance on an enemy .

On me let Death wreak all his rage. Milton.

Now was the time to be avenged on his old enemy, to wreak a grudge of seventeen years. Macaulay.

But gather all thy powers, And wreak them on the verse that thou dost weave. Bryant.

Wreak <Xpage=1668>

Wreak , n. [Cf. AS. wr\'91c exile, persecution, misery. See Wreak , v. t. ] Revenge; vengeance; furious passion; resentment. [Obs.]

Shak. Spenser.

Wreaken <Xpage=1668>

Wreak"en (?) , obs. p. p. of Wreak .

Chaucer.

Wreaker <Xpage=1668>

Wreak"er (?) , n. [See Wreak .] Avenger. [Obs.]

The stork, the wrekere of avouterye [adultery]. Chaucer.

Wreakful <Xpage=1668>

Wreak"ful (?) , a. Revengeful; angry; furious. [Obs.] -- Wreak"ful*ly , adv. [Obs.]

Wreakless <Xpage=1668>

Wreak"less , a. Unrevengeful; weak. [Obs.]

Wreath <Xpage=1668>

Wreath (?; 277) , n. ; pl. Wreaths (#) . [OE. wrethe , AS. wr&aemac;&edh; a twisted band, fr. wr\'c6&edh;an to twist. See Writhe .]

1. Something twisted, intertwined, or curled; as, a wreath of smoke; a wreath of flowers . "A wrethe of gold."

Chaucer.

[He] of his tortuous train Curled many a wanton wreath . Milton.

2. A garland; a chaplet, esp. one given to a victor.

Conquest doth grant He dear wreath to the Grecian combatant. Chapman.

Far back in the ages, The plow with wreaths was crowned. Bryant.

3. (Her.) An appendage to the shield, placed above it, and supporting the crest (see Illust . of Crest ). It generally represents a twist of two cords of silk, one tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the principal color in the arms.

Wreathe <Xpage=1668>

Wreathe (?) , v. t. [ imp. Wreathed (?) ; p. p. Wreathed ; Archaic Wreathen (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Wreathing .] [See Wreath , n. ] [Written also wreath .]

1. To cause to revolve or writhe; to twist about; to turn. [Obs.]

And from so heavy sight his head did wreathe . Spenser.

2. To twist; to convolve; to wind one about another; to entwine.

The nods and smiles of recognition into which this singular physiognomy was wreathed . Sir W. Scott.

From his slack hand the garland wreathed for Eve Down dropped. Milton.

3. To surround with anything twisted or convolved; to encircle; to infold.

Each wreathed in the other's arms. Shak.

Dusk faces with withe silken turbants wreathed . Milton.

And with thy winding ivy wreathes her lance. Dryden.

4. To twine or twist about; to surround; to encircle.

In the flowers that wreathe the sparkling bowl, Fell adders hiss. Prior.

Wreathe <Xpage=1668>

Wreathe , v. i. To be intewoven or entwined; to twine together; as, a bower of wreathing trees .

Dryden.

Wreathen <Xpage=1668>

Wreath"en (?) , a. Twisted; made into a wreath. " Wreathen work of pure gold."

Ex. xxviii. 22.

Wreathless <Xpage=1668>

Wreath"less (?) , a. Destitute of a wreath.

Wreath-shell <Xpage=1668>

Wreath"-shell` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A marine shell of the genus Turbo . See Turbo .

Wreathy <Xpage=1668>

Wreath"y (?) , a. Wreathed; twisted; curled; spiral; also, full of wreaths. " Wreathy spires, and cochleary turnings about."

Sir T. Browne.

Wrecche <Xpage=1668>

Wrec"che (?) , n. A wretch. [Obs.]

Wrecche <Xpage=1668>

Wrec"che , a. Wretched. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Wreche <Xpage=1668>

Wreche (?) , n. Wreak. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Wreck <Xpage=1668>

Wreck (?) , v. t. & n. See 2d & 3d Wreak .

Wreck <Xpage=1668>

Wreck , n. [OE. wrak , AS. wr\'91c exile, persecution, misery, from wrecan to drive out, punish; akin to D. wrak , adj., damaged, brittle, n., a wreck, wraken to reject, throw off, Icel. rek a thing drifted ashore, Sw. vrak refuse, a wreck, Dan. vrag . See Wreak , v. t. , and cf. Wrack a marine plant.] [Written also wrack .]

1. The destruction or injury of a vessel by being cast on shore, or on rocks, or by being disabled or sunk by the force of winds or waves; shipwreck.

Hard and obstinate As is a rock amidst the raging floods, 'Gainst which a ship, of succor desolate, Doth suffer wreck , both of herself and goods. Spenser.

2. Destruction or injury of anything, especially by violence; ruin; as, the wreck of a railroad train .

The wreck of matter and the crush of worlds. Addison.

Its intellectual life was thus able to go on amidst the wreck of its political life. J. R. Green.

3. The ruins of a ship stranded; a ship dashed against rocks or land, and broken, or otherwise rendered useless, by violence and fracture; as, they burned the wreck .

4. The remain of anything ruined or fatally injured.

To the fair haven of my native home, The wreck of what I was, fatigued I come. Cowper.

5. (Law) Goods, etc., which, after a shipwreck, are cast upon the land by the sea.

Bouvier.

Wreck <Xpage=1668>

Wreck (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Wrecked (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Wrecking .]

1. To destroy, disable, or seriously damage, as a vessel, by driving it against the shore or on rocks, by causing it to become unseaworthy, to founder, or the like; to shipwreck.

Supposing that they saw the king's ship wrecked . Shak.

2. To bring wreck or ruin upon by any kind of violence; to destroy, as a railroad train.

3. To involve in a wreck; hence, to cause to suffer ruin; to balk of success, and bring disaster on.

Weak and envied, if they should conspire, They wreck themselves. Daniel.

Wreck <Xpage=1668>

Wreck , v. i. 1. To suffer wreck or ruin.

Milton.

2. To work upon a wreck, as in saving property or lives, or in plundering.

Wreckage <Xpage=1668>

Wreck"age (?; 48) , n. 1. The act of wrecking, or state of being wrecked.

2. That which has been wrecked; remains of a wreck.

Wrecker <Xpage=1668>

Wreck"er (?) , n. 1. One who causes a wreck, as by false lights, and the like.

2. One who searches fro, or works upon, the wrecks of vessels, etc. Specifically: (a) One who visits a wreck for the purpose of plunder. (b) One who is employed in saving property or lives from a wrecked vessel, or in saving the vessel; as, the wreckers of Key West .

3. A vessel employed by wreckers.

Wreckfish <Xpage=1668>

Wreck"fish` (?) , n. [So called because it often comes in with wreckage .] (Zo\'94l.) A stone bass.

Wreckful <Xpage=1668>

Wreck"ful (?) , a. Causing wreck; involving ruin; destructive. "By wreckful wind."

Spenser.

Wrecking <Xpage=1668>

Wreck"ing , a. & n. from Wreck , v.

Wrecking car (Railway) , a car fitted up with apparatus and implements for removing the wreck occasioned by an accident, as by a collision. -- Wrecking pump , a pump especially adapted for pumping water from the hull of a wrecked vessel.

Wreck-master <Xpage=1668>

Wreck"-mas`ter (?) , n. A person appointed by law to take charge of goods, etc., thrown on shore after a shipwreck.

Wreke, Wreeke <Xpage=1668>

Wreke (?) , Wreeke , v. t. See 2d Wreak . [Obs.]

Wren <Xpage=1668>

Wren (?) , n. [OE. wrenne , AS. wrenna , wr\'91nna , perhaps akin to wr<?/ne lascivious.]

1. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of numerous species of small singing birds belonging to Troglodytes and numerous allied of the family Troglodytid\'91 .

&hand; Among the species best known are the house wren ( Troglodytes a\'89don ) common in both Europe and America, and the American winter wren ( T. hiemalis ). See also Cactus wren , Marsh wren , and Rock wren , under Cactus , Marsh , and Rock .