Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Wry?

\Wry\, v. t. [AS. wre['o]n.] To cover. [Obs.] Wrie you in that mantle. --Chaucer.
\Wry\, a. [Compar. {Wrier}; superl. {Wriest}.] [Akin to OE. wrien to twist, to bend, AS. wrigian to tend towards, to drive.] 1. Turned to one side; twisted; distorted; as, a wry mouth. 2. Hence, deviating from the right direction; misdirected; out of place; as, wry words. Not according to the wry rigor of our neighbors, who never take up an old idea without some extravagance in its application. --Landor. 3. Wrested; perverted. He . . . puts a wry sense upon Protestant writers. --Atterbury. {Wry face}, a distortion of the countenance indicating impatience, disgust, or discomfort; a grimace.
\Wry\, v. i. 1. To twist; to writhe; to bend or wind. 2. To deviate from the right way; to go away or astray; to turn side; to swerve. This Phebus gan awayward for to wryen. --Chaucer. How many Must murder wives much better than themselves For wrying but a little! --Shak.
\Wry\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wried}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wrying}.] [OE. wrien. See {Wry}, a.] To twist; to distort; to writhe; to wrest; to vex. --Sir P. Sidney. Guests by hundreds, not one caring If the dear host's neck were wried. --R. Browning.