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Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem. [Obs.] His wily wrenches thou ne mayst not flee. Chaucer.

A kind of pipe wrench having a flaring jaw with teeth on one side.

A pipe wrench having an adjustable L-shaped jaw piece sliding in a sleeve that is pivoted to, and loosely embraces, the handle. Pressure on the handle increases the grip.

A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open. [Written also bettee.] The powerful betty, or the artful picklock. Arbuthnot.

The sound made when a cork is forcibly drawn from a bottle. "The cloop of a cork wrenched from a bottle." Thackeray.

A large wrench. Knight.

orce, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of a debt.

with hooks, instead of suckers, as in the genera Enoploteuthis and Onychteuthis. -- Hook wrench, a wrench or spanner, having a hook at the end, instead of a jaw, for turning a bolthead, nut, or coupling.

-- Hose coupling, coupling with interlocking parts for uniting hose, end to end. -- Hose wrench, a spanner for turning hose couplings, to unite or disconnect them.

a piece which is keyed to a shaft; an internal key seat; -- called also key seat. -- Key wrench (Mach.), an adjustable wrench in which the movable jaw is made fast by a key. -- Power of the keys (Eccl.), the authority claimed by the ministry in some Christian churches to administer the discipline of the church, and t…

mischievous prank. Saintsbury. -- Monkey wheel. See Gin block, under 5th Gin. -- Monkey wrench, a wrench or spanner having a movable jaw.

because their were formerly used to make pipe stems; -- called also pipe privet. -- Pipe wrench, or Pipetongs, a jawed tool for gripping a pipe, in turning or holding it. -- To smoke the pipe of peace, to smoke from the same pipe in token of amity or preparatory to making a treaty of peace, -- a custom of the America…

To wrench; to tear; to sprain; to injure by violent straining or contortion. [R.] Dryden. "Hasting to raunch the arrow out." Spenser.

at hand; opportune; convenient; near; easy. "The readiest way." Milton. A sapling pine he wrenched from out the ground, The readiest weapon that his fury found. Dryden.

gear. See Spiral gear, under Spiral. -- Screw jack. Same as Jackscrew. -- Screw key, a wrench for turming a screw or nut; a spanner wrench. -- Screw machine. (a) One of a series of machines employed in the manufacture of wood screws. (b) A machine tool resembling a lathe, having a number of cutting tools that can b…

with iron fixed on by means of a socket, and used to propel boats, etc. [U.S.] -- Socket wrench, a wrench consisting of a socket at the end of a shank or rod, for turning a nut, bolthead, etc., in a narrow or deep recess.

t having a jaw to fit a nut or the head of a bolt, and used as a lever to turn it with; a wrench; specifically, a wrench for unscrewing or tightening the couplings of hose.

To weaken, as a joint, ligament, or muscle, by sudden and excessive exertion, as by wrenching; to overstrain, or stretch injuriously, but without luxation; as, to sprain one's ankle.

A handle or wrench forming a holder for the dies for cutting screws; a diestock.

Subjected to great or excessive tension; wrenched; weakened; as, strained relations between old friends.