wrangle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To argue or quarrel noisily and at length.

   The lawyers wrangled for hours over the wording of the contract.

2. 2
   verb

   To round up and look after horses or cattle.

   The cowboys wrangled the horses back into the corral.

The verb is derived from Middle English wranglen, wrangle (“to contend with (someone) in a test of strength; (figuratively) to make misleading arguments to entrap”); from a Middle Dutch or Middle Low German word related to Middle Dutch wrangen and Middle Low German wrangen (“to cause an uproar; to struggle, wrestle”) (whence Low German wrangeln (“to wrangle”)), related to Middle Dutch wringen (“to twist; to wrest; to wring; to struggle, wrestle”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze; to twist; to wring”). The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * Danish vringle (“to twist…

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