marrow
1 Americannoun
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Anatomy. a soft, fatty, vascular tissue in the interior cavities of bones that is a major site of blood cell production.
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the inmost or essential part.
to pierce to the marrow of a problem.
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strength or vitality.
Fear took the marrow out of him.
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rich and nutritious food.
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Chiefly British. vegetable marrow.
noun
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a partner; fellow worker.
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a spouse; helpmate.
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a companion; close friend.
noun
noun
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the fatty network of connective tissue that fills the cavities of bones
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the vital part; essence
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vitality
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rich food
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short for vegetable marrow
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of marrow1
First recorded before 900; Middle English marw(e), marwa, Old English mearg, merg; cognate with Dutch merg, German Mark, Old Norse mergr
Origin of marrow2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English marwe, maro(we), “fellow worker, partner,” perhaps from Old Norse margr “many; friendly”
Explanation
The soft stuff inside of a bone is called marrow. Many people cook with marrow from beef bones and consider it a delicacy. Dogs love to gnaw on bones, trying to get at the marrow inside, and many soups and other recipes call for marrow, which is tender and fatty. Human beings, of course, have marrow inside their bones as well, and certain diseases can be treated by marrow transplants. From this biological kind of marrow comes a figurative meaning of marrow — the essence of something. You might say, "This sentence represents the marrow of the novel."
Vocabulary lists containing marrow
Born a Crime
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The Jungle Book
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Pax
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The artwork, generated using artificial intelligence before being printed off, was hung by Marrow in the museum's contemporary section, with his website saying Empty Plate "represents Wales in 2025".
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025
"We discovered targets for cancer immunotherapy, which hopefully can be translated in the future into curative approaches," said co-corresponding author Stephen Gottschalk, MD, St. Jude Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy chair.
From Science Daily • May 3, 2024
In a video shared by the team, the former Kraken forward referred fans to the National Marrow Donor Program, formerly known as Be The Match.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2024
Mark Marrow, 52, a landscaper in Houston, went to a Home Depot early on Thursday to buy supplies.
From New York Times • Jan. 13, 2024
My dad was like: "Um, no. Jesus is not in your bones. Marrow is in your bones, and calcium and collagen."
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
