wringer (n.)

"device for squeezing water from clothes," 1799, agent noun from wring (v.). (Earlier it meant "extortioner," c. 1300.) Figurative phrase to put (someone) through the wringer first recorded 1942, American English.

Entries linking to wringer

wring (v.)

Old English wringan "press, strain, wring, twist" (class III strong verb; past tense wrang, past participle wrungen), from Proto-Germanic *wreng- (source also of Old English wringen "to wring, press out," Old Frisian wringa, Middle Dutch wringhen, Dutch wringen "to wring," Old High German ringan "to move to and fro, to twist," German ringen "to wrestle"), from *wrengh-, nasalized variant of *wergh- "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." To wring (one's) hands "press the hands or fingers tightly together (as though wringing)" as an indication of distress or pain is attested from c. 1200.

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Definitions of wringer

wringer (n.)

a clothes dryer consisting of two rollers between which the wet clothes are squeezed;

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near wringer

wretch

wretched

wriggle

wright

wring

wringer

wrinkle

wrinkly

wrist

writ

write