wrist

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

wrist, n. [OE. wriste, wrist, AS. wrist; akin to OFries. wriust, LG. wrist, G. rist wrist, instep, Icel. rist instep, Dan. & Sw. vrist, and perhaps to E. writhe.].

•  The joint, or the region of the joint, between the hand and the arm; the carpus. See Carpus.  [1913 Webster]

  "He took me by the wrist, and held me hard."  [1913 Webster]
•  A stud or pin which forms a journal; -- also called wrist pin.  [1913 Webster]

Bridle wrist, the wrist of the left hand, in which a horseman holds the bridle. -- Wrist clonus. [NL. clonus, fr. Gr. Clonic.] (Med.) A series of quickly alternating movements of flexion and extension of the wrist, produced in some cases of nervous disease by suddenly bending the hand back upon the forearm. -- Wrist drop (Med.), paralysis of the extensor muscles of the hand, affecting the hand so that when an attempt is made to hold it out in line with the forearm with the palm down, the hand drops. It is chiefly due to plumbism. Called also hand drop. -- Wrist plate (Steam Engine), a swinging plate bearing two or more wrists, for operating the valves.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

wrist, n.
1 the part connecting the hand with the forearm.
2 the corresponding part in an animal.
3 the part of a garment covering the wrist.
4 a (in full wrist-work) the act or practice of working the hand without moving the arm. b the effect got in fencing, ball games, sleight of hand, etc., by this.
5 (in full wrist-pin) Mech. a stud projecting from a crank etc. as an attachment for a connecting-rod.

Idiom

wrist-drop the inability to extend the hand through paralysis of the forearm muscles. wrist-watch a small watch worn on a strap round the wrist.

Etymology

OE f. Gmc, prob. f. a root rel. to WRITHE

THESAURUS

wrist

ankle, arm, articulation, biceps, boundary, butt, cervix, clinch, closure, connecting link, connecting rod, connection, coupling, dovetail, elbow, embrace, forearm, gliding joint, hinge, hinged joint, hip, interface, join, joining, joint, juncture, knee, knuckle, link, miter, mortise, neck, pivot, pivot joint, rabbet, scarf, seam, shoulder, stitch, suture, symphysis, tie rod, toggle, toggle joint, union, upper arm, weld

ROGET THESAURUS

wrist

Retention

N retention, retaining, keep, detention, custody, tenacity, firm hold, grasp, gripe, grip, iron grip, fangs, teeth, claws, talons, nail, unguis, hook, tentacle, tenaculum, bond, clutches, tongs, forceps, pincers, nippers, pliers, vice, paw, hand, finger, wrist, fist, neaf, neif, bird in hand, captive, retaining, retentive, tenacious, unforfeited, undeprived, undisposed, uncommunicated, incommunicable, inalienable, in mortmain, in strict settlement, uti possidetis.