Chapter Wringbolt to Wronghead of W by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

1. (Anat.) The joint, or the region of the joint, between the hand and the arm; the carpus. See Carpus.

He took me by the wrist, and held me hard.

Shak.

2. (Mach.) A stud or pin which forms a journal; — also called wrist pin.

Bridle wrist, the wrist of the left hand, in which a horseman holds the bridle. — Wrist clonus. [NL. clonus, fr. Gr. . See 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.

Wristband
(Wrist"band) n. The band of the sleeve of a shirt, or other garment, which covers the wrist.

Wrister
(Wrist"er) n. A covering for the wrist.

Wristlet
(Wrist"let) n. An elastic band worn around the wrist, as for the purpose of securing the upper part of a glove.

Writ
(Writ) obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of Write, for writeth. Chaucer.

Writ
(Writ), archaic imp. & p. p. of Write. Dryden.

Writ
(Writ), n. [AS. writ, gewrit. See Write.]

1. That which is written; writing; scripture; — applied especially to the Scriptures, or the books of the Old and New testaments; as, sacred writ. "Though in Holy Writ not named." Milton.

Then to his hands that writ he did betake,
Which he disclosing read, thus as the paper spake.

Spenser.

Babylon, so much spoken of in Holy Writ.

Knolles.

2. (Law) An instrument in writing, under seal, in an epistolary form, issued from the proper authority, commanding the performance or nonperformance of some act by the person to whom it is directed; as, a writ of entry, of error, of execution, of injunction, of mandamus, of return, of summons, and the like.

Writs are usually witnessed, or tested, in the name of the chief justice or principal judge of the court out of which they are issued; and those directed to a sheriff, or other ministerial officer, require him to return them on a day specified. In former English law and practice, writs in civil cases were either original or judicial; the former were issued out of the Court of Chancery, under the great seal, for the summoning of a defendant to appear, and were granted before the suit began and in order to begin the same; the latter were issued out of the court where the original was returned, after the suit was begun and during the pendency of it. Tomlins. Brande. Encyc. Brit. The term writ is supposed by Mr. Reeves to have been derived from the fact of these formulæ having always been expressed in writing, being, in this respect, distinguished from the other proceedings in the ancient action, which were conducted orally.

Writ of account, Writ of capias, etc. See under Account, Capias, etc. — Service of a writ. See under Service.

Writability
(Writ`a*bil"i*ty) n. Ability or capacity to write. [R.] Walpole.

Writable
(Writ"a*ble) a. Capable of, or suitable for, being written down.

Writative
(Writ"a*tive) a. Inclined to much writing; — correlative to talkative. [R.] Pope.