I. R ˈnärl, chiefly before pause or consonant -rəl, - R ˈnȧl intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: probably freq. of gnar
1. : growl , snarl
and wolves are gnarling who shall gnaw thee first — Shakespeare
2. dialect England : gnaw , nibble
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: back-formation from gnarled
: to twist or contort into or as if into a state of deformity
the wind seems to have gnarled the dispositions of men and women as it has gnarled the apple trees — Carl Van Doren
Synonyms: see deform
III. noun
( -s )
: a knot in wood : a hard protuberance with twisted grain on a tree