wrixle means to exchange. It carries an Arena rating of 1555, earned across 19 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, wrixle ranks #661 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #968 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #1,019 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #1,791 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound.
Why “wrixle” is a great word
To exchange or reciprocate goods, words, or thoughts. Its roots reach down through Middle English *wrixlen* to Old English *wrixlan*, from Proto-Germanic *wihslijaną* (“to change”), itself from the ancient Indo-European *weyk-* (“to change”). Unlike *swap*, which implies a casual, one-for-one trade of objects, or *alter*, which focuses on changing a single entity’s condition, to wrixle is to engage in a formal, mutual transaction. It is the measured barter of ripe apples for wheels of cheese at a market stall, the careful volley of nuanced ideas in a late-night conversation, and the silent, understood trade of a glance for a smile between old friends—the quiet engine of all human commerce and connection, a small stay against the entropy of solitude.
Etymology
From Middle English wrixlen, from Old English wrixlan, wixlan (“to change, exchange, reciprocate”), from Proto-Germanic *wihslijaną, *wihslōną (“to change”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyk-, *weyḱ- (“to change”). Cognate with Scots wissel (“to exchange, barter”), Dutch wisselen (“to exchange, barter, swap”), German wechseln (“to change, switch”), Icelandic víxl (“cross, interchange”), Latin vicis (“change, alteration, diversity, reciprocity”).
verb
- To exchange.
- To alter, as one's mind or mental faculties; effect a change in.
- To exchange opinions; speak one's mind; share thoughts; communicate.
- To envelop, wrap; confuse; confound.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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