marrow

[ mar-oh ]

/ ˈmær oʊ /

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See synonyms for: marrow / marrowy 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.

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Origin of marrow

before 900; Middle English mar(o)we,Old English mearg; cognate with Dutch merg,German Mark,Old Norse mergr

OTHER WORDS FROM marrow

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

Words nearby marrow

married, married print, Marriner, marron, marrons glacés, marrow, marrowbone, marrowbones, marrowfat, marrow squash, Marruecos

Other definitions for marrow (2 of 2)

marrow²

[ mar-oh; Scots mar-uh ]

/ ˈmær oʊ; Scots ˈmær ə /

noun Scot. and North England.

a partner; fellow worker.

a spouse; helpmate.

a companion; close friend.

Origin of marrow

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. 2023

How to use marrow in a sentence

The other source of long-lasting antibody responses against the coronavirus is cells called plasmablasts that reside in bone marrow.
6 important questions about COVID-19 booster vaccines, answered|Purbita Saha|July 9, 2021|Popular-Science
So there seems to be this relationship between the diversification of our diet, eating more meat and marrow, scavenging, and hunting.
What Made Early Humans Smart - Issue 102: Hidden Truths|Kevin Berger|June 30, 2021|Nautilus
Bone marrow transplants, which began in the 1980s for sickle-cell patients, are a cure, but finding a donor can be challenging.
50 years ago, urea showed promise as a sickle-cell treatment|Bethany Brookshire|December 17, 2020|Science News
The larger stone may have served as a platform on which the bones were smashed open with the smaller stone, possibly to remove marrow for eating or to obtain bone chunks suitable for shaping into tools.
Two stones fuel debate over when America’s first settlers arrived|Bruce Bower|December 4, 2020|Science News

Some also had breaks where marrow was removed, the researchers say.
This cave hosted the oldest known human remains in Europe|Bruce Bower|June 12, 2020|Science News For Students
In lieu of bone marrow transplants, scientists hope to use stem cells to serve as the future vectors of mutant CCR5 proteins.
Gene Editing Could Erase HIV|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Michael Zhang|June 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In August 2012, anchor Robin Roberts took a leave of absence for a bone marrow transplant.
This Week in Pop Culture History: Days of Our Lives, Arrested Development, and 24 Premiere|Chancellor Agard|November 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The bone marrow of the dead soldiers was depleted dramatically, and their lymph nodes had shriveled away.
Sarin, Nitrogen Mustard, Cyanide & More: All About Chemical Weapons|Kent Sepkowitz|August 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The stem cells came from Hannah's bone marrow, extracted with a special needle inserted into her hip bone.
The Power of Stem Cell Research Saves a Little Girl|Ilana Glazer|May 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The sample consists of the families of children who require bone marrow transplants.
Don't Worry, Dads: Those Kids are Probably Yours|Megan McArdle|February 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Hardy and Hicks flung the huge marrow bones with which they happened to be engaged at the time.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
Large mononuclear leukocytes probably originate in the bone-marrow or spleen.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Myelocytes are the bone-marrow cells from which the corresponding granular leukocytes are developed.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Polymorphonuclear leukocytes are formed in the bone-marrow from neutrophilic myelocytes.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The same scents may also be used for pomatum, which should be made of perfectly pure lard, or marrow.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley

British Dictionary definitions for marrow (1 of 2)

marrow¹

/ (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 forms of marrow

marrowy, adjective

Word Origin for marrow

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

British Dictionary definitions for marrow (2 of 2)

marrow²

/ (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

Scientific definitions for marrow

marrow

[ măr′ō ]

See bone marrow.

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.

marrow

Origin of marrow

OTHER WORDS FROM marrow

Words nearby marrow

Other definitions for marrow (2 of 2)

Origin of marrow

Words related to marrow

How to use marrow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marrow (1 of 2)

Derived forms of marrow

Word Origin for marrow

British Dictionary definitions for marrow (2 of 2)

Word Origin for marrow

Scientific definitions for marrow

Cultural definitions for marrow