01 n. Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem.
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1.
Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem.[Obs.]“His wily wrenches thou ne mayst not flee.” — Chaucer.
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2.
A violent twist, or a pull with twisting.“He wringeth them such a wrench.” — Skelton.“The injurious effect upon biographic literature of all such wrenches to the truth, is diffused everywhere.” — De Quincey.
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3.
A sprain; an injury by twisting, as in a joint.
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4.
Means; contrivance.[Obs.]
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5.
An instrument, often a simple bar or lever with jaws or an angular orifice either at the end or between the ends, for exerting a twisting strain, as in turning bolts, nuts, screw taps, etc.; a screw key. Many wrenches have adjustable jaws for grasping nuts, etc., of different sizes.
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6.
The system made up of a force and a couple of forces in a plane perpendicular to that force. Any number of forces acting at any points upon a rigid body may be compounded so as to be equivalent to a wrench.(Mech.)
Phrases & compounds
Carriage wrench —
a wrench adapted for removing or tightening the nuts that confine the wheels on the axles, or for turning the other nuts or bolts of a carriage or wagon.
Monkey wrench —
See under Monkey.
Wrench hammer —
a wrench with the end shaped so as to admit of being used as a hammer.