definitions

marrow

1
[ mar-oh ]
/ ˈmær oʊ /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR marrow ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Anatomy. a soft, fatty, vascular tissue in the interior cavities of bones that is a major site of blood cell production.
the inmost or essential part: to pierce to the marrow of a problem.
strength or vitality: Fear took the marrow out of him.
rich and nutritious food.
Chiefly British. vegetable marrow.

RELATED WORDS

quintessence, kernel, substance, meat, core, bottom, soul, pith, stuff, essentiality, quick, cream, spirit, gist, quintessential, virtuality

Nearby words

married print, marriedly, marriner, marron, marrons glacés, marrow, marrow fat, marrow squash, marrowbone, marrowbones, marrowfat

Origin of marrow

1
before 900; Middle English mar(o)we, Old English mearg; cognate with Dutch merg, German Mark, Old Norse mergr
Related formsmar·row·ish, adjectivemar·row·less, adjectivemar·row·y, adjective

Definition for marrow (2 of 2)

marrow

2
[ mar-oh; Scot. mar-uh ]
/ ˈmær oʊ; Scot. ˈmær ə /

noun Scot. and North England.

a partner; fellow worker.
a spouse; helpmate.
a companion; close friend.

Origin of marrow

2
1400–50; late Middle English marwe fellow worker, partner, perhaps < Old Norse margr friendly, literally, many
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for marrow

British Dictionary definitions for marrow (1 of 2)

marrow

1
/ (ˈmærəʊ) /

noun

the fatty network of connective tissue that fills the cavities of bones
the vital part; essence
vitality
rich food
British short for vegetable marrow
Derived Formsmarrowy, adjective

Word Origin for marrow

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

British Dictionary definitions for marrow (2 of 2)

marrow

2
/ (ˈmærəʊ, -rə) /

noun

Northeast English dialect, mainly Durham a companion, esp a workmate

Word Origin for marrow

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

Word Origin and History for marrow

marrow

n.

late 14c., from Old English mearg "marrow," earlier mærh, from Proto-Germanic *mazga- (cf. Old Norse mergr, Old Saxon marg, Old Frisian merg, Middle Dutch march, Dutch merg, Old High German marg, German Mark "marrow"), from PIE *mozgo- "marrow" (cf. Sanskrit majjan-, Avestan mazga- "marrow," Old Church Slavonic mozgu, Lithuanian smagenes "brain"). Figurative sense of "inmost or central part" is attested from c.1400.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for marrow

marrow

[ măr′ō ]

n.

Bone marrow.
The spinal cord.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for marrow

marrow

[ măr′ō ]

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

Culture 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.