1. To wring (towel, rag); To squeeze

2. To squeeze (fruit to extract juice); To press; To extract; To milk; To express milk

3. To rack (one's brains); To strain (one's voice)

4. To extort; To exploit

5. To chew out; To reprimand severely; To rake over the coals; To give a sound scolding; To tell someone off; To scold; To rebuke See also 油を絞る.

6. To drill into; To train

7. To narrow down (one's focus); To whittle down

8. To gather up (curtain, etc.); To tighten (drawstring)

9. To stop down (lens)

10. To turn down (e.g. radio)

11. To bend (bow); To draw

12. To hold down; To constrict; To immobilize