gnaw

v., gnawed, gnaw·ing, gnaws.

v.tr.

1. 1. To bite, chew on, or erode with the teeth.
   2. To produce by gnawing: gnaw a hole. See synonyms at bite.
   3. To erode or diminish gradually as if by gnawing: waves gnawing the rocky shore.
2. To afflict or worry persistently: fear that constantly gnawed me.

v.intr.

1. To bite or chew persistently: The dog gnawed at the bone.
2. To cause erosion or gradual diminishment.
3. To cause persistent worry or pain: Hunger gnawed at the prisoners.

[Middle English gnauen, from Old English gnagan.]

gnawer gnaw'er n.

verb

1. To seize, as food, with the teeth: bite, champ, chomp, gnash. See attack/defend, ingestion.
2. To consume gradually, as by chemical reaction or friction: bite, corrode, eat, erode, wear, wear away. See attack/defend.

IN BRIEF: To bite and wear away bit by bit with the teeth.

Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still. — Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862).

Tutor's tip: Note: "Gnaw" (to chew on) and "naw" (a slang for "no") sound alike. "Knorr" (a ship with one sail) and "nor" (a word used to make the following word or phrase negative) sound alike.

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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - gnave, gumle, nage, angribe, nedbryde
v. intr. - gnave vedholdende

Nederlands (Dutch)
(af)knagen, slijten, tergen

Français (French)
v. tr. - ronger
v. intr. - ronger, creuser, (fig) ronger (par le remords), tourmenter

Deutsch (German)
v. - kauen, nagen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - ροκανίζω, κατατρώγω, βασανίζω, διαβρώνω

Italiano (Italian)
rodere, rosicchiare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - roer, morder continuamente, corroer

Русский (Russian)
грызть, разъедать, беспокоить

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - roer, corroer
v. intr. - roer, corroer

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - gnaga på, fräta bort

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
咬, 啮, 啃, 咬成, 咬断, 消耗, 侵蚀, 烦恼

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 咬, 齧, 啃, 咬成, 咬斷, 消耗
v. intr. - 啃, 齧, 侵蝕, 消耗, 煩惱

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 씹다, 좀먹다, 고통을 주다
v. intr. - 갉다, 좀먹다, 고통을 주다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - ガリガリかじる, かじってあける, 悩ます, 苦しめる, むしばむ, かじる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يقرض, يقضم‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮כרסם, כסס, איכל, עינה‬
v. intr. - ‮כרסם, כסס, אוכל, התכלה, התענה‬

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