English Explanatory Dictionary

gnaw

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To bite something persistently, especially something tough.
  2. To produce excessive anxiety or worry.
  3. To corrode; to fret away; to waste.
noun
  1. The act of gnawing.

Pronunciation

nô /nɔː/ /nɔ/ nä /nɑ/ en-us-gnaw.ogg

Word forms

gnaw gnaws gnawing gnawed gnew gnawn

Etymology

From Middle English gnawen, gnaȝen, from Old English gnagan, from Proto-West Germanic *gnagan, from Proto-Germanic *gnaganą (“to gnaw”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *gʰnēgʰ- (“to gnaw, scratch”). Cognate with Dutch knagen, German nagen, Danish gnave (“to gnaw”), Norwegian Bokmål gnage, Norwegian Nynorsk gnaga, Swedish gnaga.

Related words

nag

Derived words

begnaw forgnaw gnawable gnawer gnawingly gnaw someone's vitals outgnaw ungnawed ungnawn
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