writhen
English edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
writhen
- (archaic) past participle of writhe
Adjective edit
writhen (comparative more writhen, superlative most writhen)
Anagrams edit
Middle English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Old English wrīþan. Cognates include Old Swedish vrīþa and Middle High German rīden.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
writhen
- To form or make into a curve or bend; to make bent:
- To writhe; to make a twisting motion (often while in pain)
- To move in a twisted or distorted way; to squirm.
- To force someone to fall over; to knock over.
- To connect two things or enclose one thing in another.
- To go or look away; to avoid involvement in an activity or matter.
- (rare) To start a behaviour or acquire attributes.
- (rare) To twine two things together.
- (rare) To be intertwined or twined together.
- (rare, surgery) To drill a hole by a twisting motion.
Usage notes edit
Weak forms occasionally appear in this verb, but it generally remains strong.
Conjugation edit
Conjugation of writhen (strong class 1)
infinitive | (to) writhen, writhe | ||
---|---|---|---|
present tense | past tense | ||
1st-person singular | writhe | wroth | |
2nd-person singular | writhest | writhe, wroth | |
3rd-person singular | writheth | wroth | |
subjunctive singular | writhe | writhe1 | |
imperative singular | — | ||
plural2 | writhen, writhe | writhen, writhe | |
imperative plural | writheth, writhe | — | |
participles | writhynge, writhende | writhen, writhe, wrethen, wrethe, ywrithen, ywrithe |
1Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
2Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
References edit
- “wrīthen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-04.