September 28, 2009
- wrest (verb)
- \REST\
- What does it mean?
- 1 : to pull, force, or move by violent wringing or twisting movements2 : to gain by or as if by force or violence
- How do you use it?
- "But Harriet was up the stairs again, out of reach. She had only descended to wrest a piece of toast from the cook instead of having to wait in the dining room." (Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy)
- Are you a word wiz?
Our example sentence uses the first sense of "wrest" we give. Which sentence below uses the second sense of "wrest" correctly?
Answer B mistakes "wrest" for its homophone "rest." (A homophone is a word that sounds like another word but has a different spelling and meaning). Answer C uses "wrest" intransitively--that is, it acts like the verb "wrest" does not take an object. But "wrest" is transitive--it does require an object--so Answer C is incorrect. Answer A uses the first sense of "wrest," which refers to physically removing something from someone or something with a wringing motion. But we're looking for the second sense, a figurative use of "wrest." Answer D illustrates this second sense, and in fact is a very common use of the extended sense of "wrest."
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