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GNAW (gnawn)

Pronunciation (US):

Dictionary entry overview: What does gnaw mean?

• GNAW (verb)
The verb GNAW has 2 senses:

1. bite or chew on with the teeth
2. become ground down or deteriorate

Familiarity information: GNAW used as a verb is rare.

Dictionary entry details

• GNAW (verb)

Sense 1

gnaw ^{[BACK TO TOP]}

Meaning:

Bite or chew on with the teeth

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

gnaw an old cracker

Hypernyms (to "gnaw" is one way to...):

chew; jaw; manducate; masticate (chew (food))

bite; seize with teeth (to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

gnaw ^{[BACK TO TOP]}

Meaning:

Become ground down or deteriorate

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

eat at; erode; gnaw at; gnaw; wear away

Context example:

Her confidence eroded

Hypernyms (to "gnaw" is one way to...):

crumble; decay; delapidate (fall into decay or ruin)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

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GNAW: related words searches

» delapidate definition
» Meaning of masticate
» What does chew mean?
» bite: pronunciation in phonetic transcription
» Meaning of jaw

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