wrestle

• wrassle (eye dialect)

From Middle English wrestlen, wrastlen (also as wraxlen), from Old English wræstlian, wraxlian (“to contend, wrestle”); corresponding to wrest +‎ -le. Cognate with Saterland Frisian wrosselje (“to contend, wrestle”), West Frisian wrakselje (“to wrestle”), Middle Dutch wrastelen (“to wrestle”), Middle Low German wrostelen (“to wrestle”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛ.səl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛsəl

wrestle (plural wrestles)

1. A wrestling bout.
2. A struggle.

wrestle (third-person singular simple present wrestles, present participle wrestling, simple past and past participle wrestled)

1. (intransitive) To contend, with an opponent, by grappling and attempting to throw, immobilize or otherwise defeat him, depending on the specific rules of the contest
2. (intransitive) To struggle or strive
3. (transitive) To take part in a wrestling match with someone
4. (transitive) To move or lift something with difficulty
5. (transitive) To throw a calf etc in order to brand it
6. (transitive) To fight.
   • 2018 June 18, Phil McNulty, “Tunisia 1 – 2 England”, in BBC Sport‎, archived from the original on 21 April 2019:

     Tunisia dug in to frustrate England in the second half but [Harry] Kane was the match-winner with a late header from Harry Maguire's flick, justice being done after referee Wilmar Roldan and the video assistant referee (VAR) had failed to spot him being wrestled to the ground twice in the penalty area.

• Lewters, Welters, swelter, welters