They [came] that handle the pen of the writer.
Judg. v. 14.
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Ps. xlv. 1.
2. One who is engaged in literary composition as a profession; an
author; as, a writer of novels.
This pitch, as ancient writers do report, doth defile.
Shak.
3. A clerk of a certain rank in the service of the late East India
Company, who, after serving a certain number of years, became a factor.
Writer of the tallies (Eng. Law), an officer of the exchequer of
England, who acted as clerk to the auditor of the receipt, and wrote
the accounts upon the tallies from the tellers' bills. The use of
tallies in the exchequer has been abolished. Wharton (Law. Dict.) —
Writer's cramp, palsy, or spasm (Med.), a painful spasmodic affection
of the muscles of the fingers, brought on by excessive use, as in
writing, violin playing, telegraphing, etc. Called also scrivener's
palsy. — Writer to the signet. See under Signet.
Writ"er*ship (?), n. The office of a writer.
Writhe (?), v. t. [imp. Writhed (?); p. p. Writhed, Obs. or Poetic
Writhen (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Writhing.] [OE. writhen, AS. wr&?;an to
twist; akin to OHG. rdan, Icel. r&?;a, Sw. vrida, Dan. vride. Cf.
Wreathe, Wrest, Wroth.]
1. To twist; to turn; now, usually, to twist or turn so as to distort;
to wring. "With writhing [turning] of a pin." Chaucer.
Then Satan first knew pain, And writhed him to and fro.
Milton.
Her mouth she writhed, her forehead taught to frown.
Dryden.
His battle-writhen arms, and mighty hands.
Tennyson.