From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Wreak \Wreak\ (r[=e]k), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wreaked} (r[=e]kt);
p. pr. & vb. n. {Wreaking}.] [OE. wreken to revenge, punish,
drive out, AS. wrecan; akin to OFries. wreka, OS. wrekan to
punish, D. wreken to avenge, G. r[aum]chen, OHG. rehhan,
Icel. reka to drive, to take vengeance, Goth. wrikan to
persecute, Lith. vargas distress, vargti to suffer distress,
L. urgere to drive, urge, Gr. e'i`rgein to shut, Skr. v[.r]j
to turn away. Cf. {Urge}, {Wreck}, {Wretch}.]
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1. To revenge; to avenge. [Archaic]
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He should wreake him on his foes. --Chaucer.
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Another's wrongs to wreak upon thyself. --Spenser.
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Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain.
--Fairfax.
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2. To inflict or execute, especially in vengeance or passion;
to hurl or drive; as, to wreak vengeance on an enemy; to
wreak havoc.
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Note: The word wrought is sometimes assumed to be the past
tense of wreak, as the phrases
{wreak havoc} and
{wrought havoc} are both commonly used. In fact,
{wrought havoc} is not as common as
{wreaked havoc}. Whether wrought is considered as the past
tense of wreak or of work,
{wrought havoc} has essentially the same meaning.
Etymologically, however, wrought is only the past tense of
work.
[PJC]
On me let Death wreak all his rage. --Milton.
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Now was the time to be avenged on his old enemy, to
wreak a grudge of seventeen years. --Macaulay.
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But gather all thy powers,
And wreak them on the verse that thou dost weave.
--Bryant.
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