gnarl

¹ American  

[nahrl] / nɑrl /

noun

1. a knotty protuberance on a tree; knot.

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verb (used with object)

1. to twist into a knotted or distorted form.

   Synonyms:

   distort, contort

gnarl ² American  

[nahrl] / nɑrl /

verb (used without object)

1. to growl; snarl.

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gnarl ¹ British  

/ nɑːl /

noun

1. any knotty protuberance or swelling on a tree

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verb

1. (tr) to knot or cause to knot

gnarl ² British  

/ nɑːl, nɑː /

verb

1. obsolete (intr) to growl or snarl

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Etymology

Origin of gnarl¹

First recorded in 1805–15; back formation from gnarled

Origin of gnarl²

First recorded in 1585–95; variant of gnar

Example Sentences

Her cheeks sagged past her jaw and she was hunched over on a gnarled stick that shook under her hand.

From Literature

This saga’s gnarled roots stretch back to 2020, the year “Promising Young Woman” was released in theaters, and a year worthy of its own case study on its impact on cinema alone.

From Salon

I waved him off with a gnarled fist.

From Literature

It’s about two miles to my new home—a cottage with a thatched roof, surrounded by tall grass and gnarled apple trees.

From Literature

“Just a few hours,” I mumble, staring out the window at a gnarled oak tree that twists up to the sky.

From Literature

Related Words

• alter
• belie
• deceive
• disfigure
• mangle
• misconstrue
• misinterpret
• misrepresent
• pervert
• twist
• warp