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gnaw - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'gnaw' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Gnaw [ v. i.]
- To use the teeth in biting; to bite with repeated effort, as in eating or removing with the teethsomething hard, unwiedly, or unmanageable.
2 . Gnaw [ v. t.]
- To bite, as something hard or tough, which is not readily separated or crushed; to bite off little by little, with effort; to wear or eat away by scraping or continuous biting with the teeth; to nibble at.
- To bite in agony or rage.
- To corrode; to fret away; to waste.

Meaning of 'gnaw' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . gnaw [ v]
Meaning (1):
- bite or chew on with the teeth
Example in sentence:
  • gnaw an old cracker
Meaning (2):
- become ground down or deteriorate
Example in sentence:
  • Her confidence eroded

Nearby Words:

gnaphalium gnar gnarl gnarled gnarling gnarly gnarred gnarring gnash gnashed

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