writhen

English

writhen

writhen (comparative more writhen, superlative most writhen)

writhen

To form or make into a curve or bend; to make bent:
1. To bend or twist into a circular shape (as a wreath)
2. To bend or twist as to distort; to writhe or wring.
3. To bend or twist as to snap or split; to twist out of position.
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.

Weak forms occasionally appear in this verb, but it generally remains strong.

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	writhe	—

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.

“wrīthen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-04.

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