[gnaw] vb [ME gnawen, fr. OE gnagan; akin to OHG gnagan to gnaw] vt (bef. 12c) 1 a: to bite or chew on with the teeth; esp: to wear away by persistent biting or nibbling "a dog ~ing a bone" b: to make by gnawing "rats ~ed a hole"
2. a: to be a source of vexation to: plague "anxiety always ~ing him" b: to affect like gnawing "hunger ~ing her vitals"
3: erode, corrode ~ vi 1: to bite or nibble persistently "~ing at his underlip"
2: to produce an effect of or as if of gnawing "waves ~ing away at the cliffs" -- gnaw.er n