Dictionary
wrest
Pronunciation: (rest), [key]—
v.t.
1. to twist or turn; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist.
2. to take away by force:
to wrest a knife from a child.
3. to get by effort:
to wrest a living from the soil.
4. to twist or turn from the proper course, application, use, meaning, or the like; wrench.
—
n.
1. a wresting; twist or wrench.
2. a key or small wrench for tuning stringed musical instruments, as the harp or piano, by turning the pins to which the strings are fastened.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.