Wrest — Defs

01 v. t. To turn; to twist; esp., to twist or extort by violence; to pull of force away by, or as if by, violent wringing or twisting.

imp. & p. p. Wrested; p. pr. & vb. n. Wresting

1.
To turn; to twist; esp., to twist or extort by violence; to pull of force away by, or as if by, violent wringing or twisting.
“Our country's cause, That drew our swords, now secret wrests them from our hand.” — Addison.

“They instantly wrested the government out of the hands of Hastings.” — Macaulay.
2.
To turn from truth; to twist from its natural or proper use or meaning by violence; to pervert; to distort.
“Wrest once the law to your authority.” — Shak.

“Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor.” — Ex. xxiii. 6.

“Their arts of wresting, corrupting, and false interpreting the holy text.” — South.
3.
To tune with a wrest, or key.[Obs.]

02 n. The act of wresting; a wrench; a violent twist; hence, distortion; perversion.

1.
The act of wresting; a wrench; a violent twist; hence, distortion; perversion.
2.
Active or moving power.[Obs.]
3.
A key to tune a stringed instrument of music.
“The minstrel . . . wore round his neck a silver chain, by which hung the wrest, or key, with which he tuned his harp.” — Sir W. Scott.
4.
A partition in a water wheel, by which the form of the buckets is determined.

Phrases & compounds

Wrest pin — one of the pins around which the ends of the wires are wound in a piano.

Wrest plank — the part in which the wrest pins are inserted.