OriginFrom Middle English wricken, probably from Middle Dutch wricken (Modern Dutch wrikken (“to wriggle”)) or Middle Low German wricken (“to move jerkily; sprain”), from Proto-Germanic *wrigōną (“to wriggle”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyḱ- (“to turn, wrap, tie”), from *wer- (“to turn, bend”).
See also Low German wriggen, German Low German wricken (“to row; scull; move back and forth”)). Compare also Danish vrikke (“to move; turn; wriggle”), Swedish vricka (“to sprain; twist; scull”).
- dialectalTo twist; turn
- dialectalTo wrench; strain
- A painful muscular spasm in the neck or back
Formswricks(present, singular, third-person) · wricking(participle, present) · wricked(participle, past) · wricked(past) · wricks(plural)