Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WRATH-LESS, a.

Free from anger. – Waller.

WRATH-Y, a.

Very angry; a colloquial word.

WRAWL, v.i. [Sw. vråla, to bawl.]

To cry as a cat. [Not in use.] – Spenser.

WREAK, n.

Revenge; vengeance; furious passion. [Obs.] – Shak. Spenser.

WREAK, v.

for Reck, to care, is a mistake. – Shak.

WREAK, v.t. [Sax. wræcan, wræccan; D. wreeken; G. rächen; perhaps allied to break. The sense is to drive or throw, to dash with violence. See Ar. حَرَجَ. Class Rg, No. 32, and No. 48.]

1. To execute; to inflict; to hurl or drive; as, to wreak vengeance on an enemy. On me let death wreak all his rage. – Milton.
2. To revenge. Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain. – Fairfax. Another's wrongs to wreak upon thyself. – Spenser. [This latter sense is nearly or quite obsolete.]

WREAK-FUL, a.

Revengeful; angry. – Shak.

WREAK-LESS, a.

Unrevengeful; weak. – Shak.

WREATH, n. [Sax. wræth, wreoth. See Writhe.]

1. Something twisted or curled; as, a wreath of flowers. Hence,
2. A garland; a chaplet. Nor wear his brows victorious wreaths. – Anon.

WREATH, v.i.

To be interwoven or entwined; as, a bower of wreathing trees. – Dryden.

WREATH, v.t. [pret. wreathed; pp. wreathed, wreathen.]

1. To twist; to convolve; to wind one about another; as, to wreath a garland of flowers.
2. To interweave; to entwine; as, chains of wreathed work.
3. To encircle, as a garland. The flow'rs that wreath the sparkling bowl. – Prior.
4. To encircle as with a garland; to dress in a garland. And with thy winding ivy wreaths her lance. – Dryden.

WREATH-ED, pp.

Twisted; entwined; interwoven.

WREATH-ING, ppr.

Twisting; entwining; encircling.

WREATH-LESS, ppr.

Destitute of a wreath.

WREATH-Y, a.

Twisted; curled; spiral; as, a wreathy spire.

WRECK, n. [Dan. vrag, a wreck, shipwreck; Sw. vrak, refuse; Sax. wræc, wræcca, an exile, a wretch; D. wrak, broken, a wreck. This word signifies properly that which is cast, driven or dashed, or that which is broken.]

1. Destruction; properly, the destruction of a ship or vessel on the shore. Hence,
2. The ruins of a ship stranded; a ship dashed against rocks or land and broken, or otherwise rendered useless by violence and fracture.
3. Dissolution by violence; ruin; destruction. The wreck of matter and the crush of worlds. – Addison.
4. The remains of any thing ruined; dead weeds and grass.
5. In metallurgy, the vessel in which ores are washed the third time.
6. Wreck for Wreak, is less proper. [See also Rack.]

WRECK, v.i.

To suffer wreck or ruin. – Milton.

WRECK, v.t. [Sw. vräka, to throw away.]

1. To strand; to drive against the shore, or dash against rocks, and break or destroy. The ship Diamond of New York, was wrecked on a rock in Cardigan Bay, on the coast of Wales.
2. To ruin; as, they wreck their own fortunes.
3. Wreck for Wreak is improper. – Shak.

WRECK'ED, pp.

Dashed against the shore or on rocks; stranded and ruined.

WRECK'ER, n.

One who seeks the wrecks of ships.

WRECK'FUL, a.

Causing wreck.

WRECK'ING, ppr.

Stranding; running on rocks or on shore; ruining.

WRECK-MAS-TER, n.

Master of wrecks.

WREN, n. [Sw. wrenna; Ir. drean.]

A small bird of the genus Motacilla.

WRENCH, n.

1. A violent twist, or a pull with twisting.
2. A sprain; an injury by twisting; as in a joint. – Locke.
3. An instrument for screwing or unscrewing iron work.
4. Means of compulsion. [Not used.] – Bacon.
5. In the plural, sleights; subtilties. [Obs.] – Chaucer.