rentʃ n. & v. --n. 1 a
violent twist or
oblique pull or
act of
tearing off. 2 an adjustable
tool like a
spanner for gripping
and turning nuts etc. 3 an
instance of
painful uprooting or
parting (leaving
home was a
great wrench). 4
Physics a
combination of a
couple with the force
along its axis. --v.tr. 1 twist or pull violently
round or
sideways. 2 (often foll. by off,
away, etc.) pull off with a wrench. 3
distort (facts) to
suit a
theory etc. [(earlier as verb:) OE wrencan twist]