English Explanatory Dictionary

gnast

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A spark; a dying or dead spark, as of a snuffed candle.
verb
  1. To gnash.

Word forms

gnast gnasts gnasting gnasted

Etymology

From Middle English gnast, knast, from Old English *gnāst (“spark”) (attested in fȳrgnāst (“spark of fire”)), from Proto-Germanic *gahnaistô (“spark”), from Proto-Germanic *ga- + Proto-Germanic *hnaistô (“spark”), perhaps from the ultimate (imitative) source of German knistern (“to crackle”). Cognate with German dialectal Ganster (“spark”), Danish gnist (“spark, sparkle”), Swedish gnista (“spark”), Icelandic gneisti, neisti (“spark”), German Gneis (“spark, gneiss”) (whence English gneiss).

Derived words

gnasting
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