Gnarled
[nahrld] /nɑrld/
adjective
1.
(of trees) full of or covered with ; bent; twisted.
2.
having a rugged, weather-beaten appearance:
a gnarled old sea captain.
3.
crabby; cantankerous.
[nahrl] /nɑrl/
noun
1.
a knotty protuberance on a tree; knot.
verb (used with object)
2.
to twist into a knotted or distorted form.
[nahrl] /nɑrl/
verb (used without object)
1.
to growl; snarl.
/nɑːld/
adjective
1.
having gnarls
2.
(esp of hands) rough, twisted, and weather-beaten in appearance
3.
perverse or ill-tempered
/nɑːl/
noun
1.
any knotty protuberance or swelling on a tree
verb
2.
(transitive) to knot or cause to knot
/nɑːl/
verb
1.
(intransitive) (obsolete) to growl or snarl
adj.
the source of the group of words that includes gnarl (v.), gnarl (n.), gnarly is Shakespeare’s use of gnarled in 1603:
Thy sharpe and sulpherous bolt Splits the vn-wedgable and gnarled Oke. [“Measure for Measure,” II.ii.116]
OED and Barnhart call it a variant of knurled, from Middle English knar “knot in wood” (late 14c.), originally “a rock, a stone;” of uncertain origin. “(Gnarled) occurs in one passage of Shakes. (for which the sole authority is the folio of 1623), whence it came into general use in the nineteenth century” [OED].
v.
“contort, twist,” 1814, a back-formation from gnarled. As a noun from 1824. Earlier the verb was used in a sense of “to snarl” (1590s).
Read Also:
- Gnarliest
[nahr-lee] /ˈnɑr li/ adjective, gnarlier, gnarliest. 1. . 2. Slang. distasteful; distressing; offensive; gross: a comic noted for his gnarly humor. /ˈnɑːlɪ/ adjective 1. another word for gnarled 2. (NZ, informal) good; great 3. (surfing, slang) difficult and dangerous adj. 1829, “knotted and rugged,” from gnarl (see gnarled) + -y (2). Picked up 1970s as […]
- Gnarliness
[nahr-lee] /ˈnɑr li/ adjective, gnarlier, gnarliest. 1. . 2. Slang. distasteful; distressing; offensive; gross: a comic noted for his gnarly humor. /ˈnɑːlɪ/ adjective 1. another word for gnarled 2. (NZ, informal) good; great 3. (surfing, slang) difficult and dangerous adj. 1829, “knotted and rugged,” from gnarl (see gnarled) + -y (2). Picked up 1970s as […]
- Gnarling
[nahrl] /nɑrl/ noun 1. a knotty protuberance on a tree; knot. verb (used with object) 2. to twist into a knotted or distorted form. [nahrl] /nɑrl/ verb (used without object) 1. to growl; snarl. /nɑːl/ noun 1. any knotty protuberance or swelling on a tree verb 2. (transitive) to knot or cause to knot /nɑːl/ […]
- Gnarly
[nahr-lee] /ˈnɑr li/ adjective, gnarlier, gnarliest. 1. . 2. Slang. distasteful; distressing; offensive; gross: a comic noted for his gnarly humor. /ˈnɑːlɪ/ adjective 1. another word for gnarled 2. (NZ, informal) good; great 3. (surfing, slang) difficult and dangerous adj. 1829, “knotted and rugged,” from gnarl (see gnarled) + -y (2). Picked up 1970s as […]
- Gnarr
[nahr] /nɑr/ verb (used without object), gnarred, gnarring. 1. to snarl; growl.