maw
1[ maw ]
/ mɔ /
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noun
the mouth, throat, or gullet of an animal, especially a carnivorous mammal.
the crop or craw of a fowl.
the stomach, especially that of an animal.
a cavernous opening that resembles the open jaws of an animal: the gaping maw of hell.
the symbolic or theoretical center of a voracious hunger or appetite of any kind: the ravenous maw of Death.
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Origin of maw
1before 900; Middle English mawe,Old English maga; cognate with Dutch maag,German Magen,Old Norse magi
Other definitions for maw (2 of 2)
Origin of maw
2Variant of ma
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use maw in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for maw
maw
/ (mɔː) /
noun
the mouth, throat, crop, or stomach of an animal, esp of a voracious animal
informal the mouth or stomach of a greedy person
Word Origin for maw
Old English maga; related to Middle Dutch maghe, Old Norse magi
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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