gnaw

[ naw ]

/ nɔ /

verb (used with object), gnawed, gnawed or gnawn, gnaw·ing.

to bite or chew on, especially persistently.

to wear away or remove by persistent biting or nibbling.

to form or make by so doing: to gnaw a hole through the wall.

to waste or wear away; corrode; erode.

to trouble or torment by constant annoyance, worry, etc.; vex; plague.

verb (used without object), gnawed, gnawed or gnawn, gnaw·ing.

to bite or chew persistently: The spaniel gnawed happily on a bone.

to cause corrosion: The acid gnaws at the metal.

to cause an effect resembling corrosion: Her mistake gnawed at her conscience.

Origin of gnaw

before 1000; Middle English gnawen, Old English gnagen; cognate with German nagen, Old Norse gnāga

OTHER WORDS FROM gnaw

gnaw·a·ble, adjective gnaw·er, noun out·gnaw, verb (used with object), out·gnawed, out·gnawed or out·gnawn, out·gnaw·ing. un·der·gnaw, verb (used with object)

un·gnawed, adjective

Words nearby gnaw

gnathoplasty, gnathostoma, gnathostome, gnathostomiasis, gnatty, gnaw, gnawing, gnawn, gnc, gneiss, gneissoid

Example sentences from the Web for gnawed

Gellhorn was the better journalist and war correspondent, a fact that gnawed at Hemingway.

The Wonderful ‘Hemingway & Gellhorn:’ Nicole Kidman, Clive Owen, and the HBO Movie |Allen Barra |May 28, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Even at the most courageous and daring moments of his service in the desert, Lawrence was gnawed by these doubts.

What We Need to Learn From T.E. Lawrence |Michael Korda |November 15, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
He with the gnawed yellow mustache pushed himself clear of the barouche, his smouldering cigar butt dropping to the floor.

The Crisis, Complete |Winston Churchill
You must know that she had gnawed herself out of the case, which stood in the barn waiting to be unpacked.

The Old Willow Tree and Other Stories |Carl Ewald

The Wolves dug up the roots of the tree, Beavers gnawed the trunk of the tree.

Myths and Legends of British North America |Katharine Berry Judson
"That I will," said Tommy, and in a jiffy he had gnawed them free.

Kernel Cob And Little Miss Sweetclover |George Mitchel
She smiled, palely, and gnawed the ginger stick, her jaw being so impeded by her desire to cry that she could not bite it.

The Judge |Rebecca West

British Dictionary definitions for gnawed

gnaw

/ (nɔː) /

verb gnaws, gnawing, gnawed, gnawed or gnawn (nɔːn)

(when intr, often foll by at or upon) to bite (at) or chew (upon) constantly so as to wear away little by little

(tr) to form by gnawing to gnaw a hole

to cause erosion of (something)

(when intr, often foll by at) to cause constant distress or anxiety (to)

noun

the act or an instance of gnawing

Derived forms of gnaw

gnawable, adjective gnawer, noun gnawing, adjective, noun gnawingly, adverb

Word Origin for gnaw

Old English gnagan; related to Old Norse gnaga, Old High German gnagan

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

gnaw

verb (used with object), gnawed, gnawed or gnawn, gnaw·ing.

verb (used without object), gnawed, gnawed or gnawn, gnaw·ing.

Origin of gnaw

OTHER WORDS FROM gnaw

Words nearby gnaw

Example sentences from the Web for gnawed

British Dictionary definitions for gnawed

verb gnaws, gnawing, gnawed, gnawed or gnawn (nɔːn)

noun

Derived forms of gnaw

Word Origin for gnaw

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

gnaw

verb (used with object), gnawed, gnawed or gnawn, gnaw·ing.

verb (used without object), gnawed, gnawed or gnawn, gnaw·ing.

Origin of gnaw

OTHER WORDS FROM gnaw

Words nearby gnaw

Words related to gnawed

Example sentences from the Web for gnawed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for gnawed

verb gnaws, gnawing, gnawed, gnawed or gnawn (nɔːn)

noun

Derived forms of gnaw

Word Origin for gnaw

British Dictionary definitions for gnawed