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Webster 1913 Edition

Wreak

Wreak

(rēk)
,
Verb.
I.
To reck; to care.
[Obs.]
Shak.

Wreak

(rēk)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Wreaked
(rēkt)
;
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.
rächen
, 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.
εἴργειν
to shut, Skr.
vṛj
to turn away. Cf.
Urge
,
Wreck
,
Wretch
.]
1.
To revenge; to avenge.
[Archaic]
He should
wreake
him on his foes.
Chaucer.
Another’s wrongs to
wreak
upon thyself.
Spenser.
Come
wreak
his loss, whom bootless ye complain.
Fairfax.
2.
To inflict or execute, especially in vengeance or passion; to hurl or drive;
as, to
wreak
vengeance on an enemy; to
wreak
havoc
.
On me let Death
wreak
all his rage.
Milton.
Now was the time to be avenged on his old enemy, to
wreak
a grudge of seventeen years.
Macaulay.
But gather all thy powers,
And
wreak
them on the verse that thou dost weave.
Bryant.

Wreak

,
Noun.
[Cf. AS.
wræc
exile, persecution, misery. See
Wreak
,
Verb.
T.
]
Revenge; vengeance; furious passion; resentment.
[Obs.]
Shak. Spenser.

Webster 1828 Edition

Wreak

WREAK

,
Verb.
T.
[G. The sense is to drive or throw, to dash with violence.]
1.
To execute; to inflict; to hurl or drive; as, to wreak vengeance on an enemy.
On me let death wreak all his rage.
2.
To revenge.
Come wreak his loss, whom bootless ye complain.
Anothers wrongs to wreak upon thyself.
[This latter sense is nearly or quite obsolete.]

WREAK

, for reck. To care, is a mistake.

WREAK

,
Noun.
Revenge; vengeance; furious passion.

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