n. [ OE. wrenne, AS. wrenna, wrænna, perhaps akin to wr&aemacr_;ne lascivious. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small singing birds belonging to Troglodytes and numerous allied of the family Troglodytidae. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Among the species best known are the house wren (Troglodytes aedon) common in both Europe and America, and the American winter wren (Troglodytes hiemalis). See also Cactus wren, Marsh wren, and Rock wren, under Cactus, Marsh, and Rock. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small singing birds more or less resembling the true wrens in size and habits. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Among these are several species of European warblers; as, the reed wren (see Reed warbler (a), under Reed), the sedge wren (see Sedge warbler, under Sedge), the willow wren (see Willow warbler, under Willow), the golden-crested wren, and the ruby-crowned wren (see Kinglet). [ 1913 Webster ]

Ant wren, any one of numerous South American birds of the family Formicaridae, allied to the ant thrushes. --
Blue wren, a small Australian singing bird (Malurus cyaneus), the male of which in the breeding season is bright blue. Called also superb warbler. --
Emu wren. See in the Vocabulary. --
Wren babbler, any one of numerous species of small timaline birds belonging to Alcippe, Stachyris, Timalia, and several allied genera. These birds are common in Southern Asia and the East Indies. --
Wren tit. See Ground wren, under Ground. --
Wren warbler, any one of several species of small Asiatic and African singing birds belonging to Prinia and allied genera. These birds are closely allied to the tailor birds, and build their nests in a similar manner. See also Pincpinc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. wrench deceit, AS. wrenc deceit, a twisting; akin to G. rank intrigue, crookedness, renken to bend, twist, and E. wring. √144. See Wring, and cf. Ranch, v. t. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His wily wrenches thou ne mayst not flee. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A violent twist, or a pull with twisting. [ 1913 Webster ]

He wringeth them such a wrench. Skelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The injurious effect upon biographic literature of all such wrenches to the truth, is diffused everywhere. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A sprain; an injury by twisting, as in a joint. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Means; contrivance. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An instrument, often a simple bar or lever with jaws or an angular orifice either at the end or between the ends, for exerting a twisting strain, as in turning bolts, nuts, screw taps, etc.; a screw key. Many wrenches have adjustable jaws for grasping nuts, etc., of different sizes. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Mech.) The system made up of a force and a couple of forces in a plane perpendicular to that force. Any number of forces acting at any points upon a rigid body may be compounded so as to be equivalent to a wrench. [ 1913 Webster ]

Carriage wrench, a wrench adapted for removing or tightening the nuts that confine the wheels on the axles, or for turning the other nuts or bolts of a carriage or wagon. --
Monkey wrench. See under Monkey. --
Wrench hammer, a wrench with the end shaped so as to admit of being used as a hammer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Wrenched p. pr. & vb. n. Wrenching. ] [ OE. wrenchen, AS. wrencan to deceive, properly, to twist, from wrenc guile, deceit, a twisting. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_;. See Wrench, n. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To pull with a twist; to wrest, twist, or force by violence. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wrench his sword from him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Forthwith this frame of mine was wrenched
With a woeful agony. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To strain; to sprain; hence, to distort; to pervert. [ 1913 Webster ]

You wrenched your foot against a stone. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]