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Added 9 October 2026

sprain

/spɹeɪn/ noun

Latin root: exprimere Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sprain at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A painful injury to a joint caused by a sudden wrenching of its ligaments.

verb

Twist suddenly so as to sprain.
wrench one's ankle

Origin

Origin unknown. Noun attested since 1601; verb attested 1622. Possibly borrowed from Middle French espraindre (“to squeeze or press out”), from Latin exprimere (“to squeeze out, express”), in which case cognate to express.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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