Wreaked

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Wreak \Wreak\ (r[=e]k), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wreaked} (r[=e]kt);
     p. pr. & vb. n. {Wreaking}.] [OE. wreken to revenge, punish,
     drive out, AS. wrecan; akin to OFries. wreka, OS. wrekan to
     punish, D. wreken to avenge, G. r[aum]chen, OHG. rehhan,
     Icel. reka to drive, to take vengeance, Goth. wrikan to
     persecute, Lith. vargas distress, vargti to suffer distress,


     L. urgere to drive, urge, Gr. e'i`rgein to shut, Skr. v[.r]j
     to turn away. Cf. {Urge}, {Wreck}, {Wretch}.]
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     1. To revenge; to avenge. [Archaic]
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              He should wreake him on his foes.     --Chaucer.
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              Another's wrongs to wreak upon thyself. --Spenser.
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              Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain.
                                                    --Fairfax.
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     2. To inflict or execute, especially in vengeance or passion;
        to hurl or drive; as, to wreak vengeance on an enemy; to
        wreak havoc.
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     Note: The word wrought is sometimes assumed to be the past
           tense of wreak, as the phrases
  
     {wreak havoc} and
  
     {wrought havoc} are both commonly used. In fact,
  
     {wrought havoc} is not as common as
  
     {wreaked havoc}. Whether wrought is considered as the past
        tense of wreak or of work,
  
     {wrought havoc} has essentially the same meaning.
        Etymologically, however, wrought is only the past tense of
        work.
        [PJC]
  
              On me let Death wreak all his rage.   --Milton.
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              Now was the time to be avenged on his old enemy, to
              wreak a grudge of seventeen years.    --Macaulay.
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              But gather all thy powers,
              And wreak them on the verse that thou dost weave.
                                                    --Bryant.
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