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.
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 (?), 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. t. [AS. wreón.]
To cover. [Obs.]
Wrie you in
that mantle.
Chaucer.
Hear it pronounced