wrest: Meaning and Definition of

wrest

Pronunciation: (rest), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to twist or turn; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist.
  2. to take away by force: to wrest a knife from a child.
  3. to get by effort: to wrest a living from the soil.
  4. to twist or turn from the proper course, application, use, meaning, or the like; wrench.
—n.
  1. a wresting; twist or wrench.
  2. a key or small wrench for tuning stringed musical instruments, as the harp or piano, by turning the pins to which the strings are fastened.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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