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

Firefighters used an excavator to remove broken glass and gnarled metal strewn across the site as policemen with pump-action rifles patrolled on motorbike to prevent looting.

From Barron's

That made it something of a shock to hear the gnarled aggression of Black Sabbath, Tool, Metallica and other blazing rock anthems close out episodes of Noah Hawley’s blockbuster TV adaptation.

From Salon

It’ll be a long time before the baby Joshua trees resemble the gnarled icons that dot the park.

From Los Angeles Times

The trees are skinny, with gnarled branches that twist around one another.

From Literature

The old woman grunted and used one long, gnarled finger to beckon Penelope inside.

From Literature

Related Words

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