marrow

1
[ mar-oh ]
See synonyms for: marrowmarrowy on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Anatomy. a soft, fatty, vascular tissue in the interior cavities of bones that is a major site of blood cell production.

  2. the inmost or essential part: to pierce to the marrow of a problem.

  1. strength or vitality: Fear took the marrow out of him.

  2. rich and nutritious food.

  3. Chiefly British. vegetable marrow.

Origin of marrow

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English marw(e), marwa, Old English mearg, merg; cognate with Dutch merg, German Mark, Old Norse mergr

Other words from marrow

  • mar·row·ish, adjective
  • mar·row·less, adjective
  • mar·row·y, adjective

Words Nearby marrow

Other definitions for marrow (2 of 2)

marrow2
[ mar-oh; Scots mar-uh ]

nounScot. and North England.
  1. a partner; fellow worker.

  2. a spouse; helpmate.

  1. a companion; close friend.

Origin of marrow

2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English marwe, maro(we), “fellow worker, partner,” perhaps from Old Norse margr “many; friendly”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use marrow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marrow (1 of 2)

marrow1

/ (ˈmærəʊ) /


noun
  1. the fatty network of connective tissue that fills the cavities of bones

  2. the vital part; essence

  1. vitality

  2. rich food

  3. British short for vegetable marrow

Origin of marrow

1
Old English mærg; related to Old Frisian merg, Old Norse mergr

Derived forms of marrow

  • marrowy, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for marrow (2 of 2)

marrow2

/ (ˈmærəʊ, -rə) /


noun
  1. Northeast English dialect, mainly Durham a companion, esp a workmate

Origin of marrow

2
C15 marwe fellow worker, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare Icelandic margr friendly

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for marrow

marrow

[ mărō ]


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for marrow

marrow

The soft, specialized connective tissue that fills the cavities of bones. One kind of bone marrow is responsible for manufacturing red blood cells in the body.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.