wretchedness (rechednes)

[ Is wretchedne deprived that benefit, To end itself by death? Shak ., Lear, iv. 6. 61. 2. Wretched character or quality; distre ing, reprehensible, or despicable nature; aggravated or aggravating badne of any kind. Thy kynde is of so lowe a wrechedne e That what love is thou canst not seen ne ge e. Chaucer , Parliament of Fowls, 1. 601. The gray wretchedne of the afternoon was a fit prelude Harper's Mag ., LXXVII. 782. to Barra. IMG:content-2607.png:[blocks in formation] Yet hath this bird by twenty you sand fold Levere in a forest that is rude and cold Goon ete wormes and swich wrecchedne e. Chaucer, Manciple's Tale, 1. 67. =Syn. 1. Affliction , Grief, Sorrow , etc. See affliction . wretchfult (rech'ful), a. [ wreakful and wrackful .] wrackful .] Wretched. Wyclif . wretchle t, wretchle lyt, etc. Mi pellings of retchle , retchle ly , etc., variants of reckle , reckle ly, etc. Stan i hurst , Æneid, When you wait behind a chair at meals, keep constantly wriggling the back of the chair, that the person whom you stand may know you are ready to attend him. Swift, Advice to Servants (Footman). The Pi-Utes... wriggled their way out through the pa ages in the rocks. The Century, XLI. 649. wriggle (rig'l), n. [ They [dapper men] have always a peculiar spring in their arms, a wriggle in their bodies, and a trip in their gait. Steele, Tatler, No. 85. He was a person of sinuous, snake-like presence, and seemed capable of shedding his complete attire by means of one deft wriggle. Harper's Mag., LXXVI. 223. 2. Something showing the effect of wriggling or sinuous action; a sinuosity or contortion; a wrinkle. [Rare.] Minor folds and wriggles [in rocks] are frequent. Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc., XLIV. 11. wriggler (rig'ler), n. [ wiggler .-2. A person who practises wriggling methods; one who proceeds by sinuosity or trickery. For Providence, In spite of all the wrigglers into place, Still keeps a seat or two for worth and grace. wriggling (rig'ling), n. v.] Same as wriggle . Cowper, Tirocinium, 1. 432. [Verbal n. of wriggle, The product of these is a wretch le spirit: that is, an aptne to any unworthine . Jer. Taylor , Works (ed. 1835), Ι. 728. Cursed are al they that do the Lord's busines wretch lesly. Tract, an. 1555 (Strype's Cat. of Originals, No. 44). The Devil doth thrust them either into desperation, or into wretch le ne of most unclean living, no le perilous than desperation. Thirty-nine Articles (Amer. Revision, 1801), xvii. wretchockt, wretchcockt (rech'ok, rech'kok), n. [Appar. wretch + -ock or cock1 , n ., used as dim.] A stunted or abortive cock; the smallest of a brood of domestic fowls; hence, any puny or imperfect creature. The famous imp yet grew a wretchock [in some editions, wretch-cock],.. though for seven years together he was carefully carried at his mother's back. B. Jonson, Gipsies Metamorphosed. wrethelt, v . A Middle English form of wreathe . wrethe2t, v. A Middle English form of wrath . wrethe3t, v. An obsolete form of writhe . wreyet, v . t. An old spelling of wray. Chau cer.