gnarl
1[ nahrl ]
/ nɑrl /
noun
a knotty protuberance on a tree; knot.
verb (used with object)
to twist into a knotted or distorted form.
QUIZZES
CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"
"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
Origin of gnarl
1First recorded in 1805–15; back formation from gnarled
Words nearby gnarl
Definition for gnarl (2 of 2)
gnarl2
[ nahrl ]
/ nɑrl /
verb (used without object)
to growl; snarl.
Origin of gnarl
2First recorded in 1585–95; variant of gnar
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for gnarl
The ball is a knob or gnarl from the trunk of a tree, carefully formed into a globular shape.
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol I of II)|Alice Bertha GommeIn a little while he returned, carrying a gnarl of pine wood, which he set to blazing at the fire.
The Red Tavern|Charles Raymond Macauley
British Dictionary definitions for gnarl (1 of 2)
gnarl1
/ (nɑːl) /
noun
any knotty protuberance or swelling on a tree
verb
(tr) to knot or cause to knot
Word Origin for gnarl
C19: back formation from gnarled, probably variant of knurled; see knurl
British Dictionary definitions for gnarl (2 of 2)
gnarl2
gnar (nɑː)
/ (nɑːl) /
verb
(intr) obsolete to growl or snarl
Word Origin for gnarl
C16: of imitative origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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