gnarled

English

Etymology 1

First attested Shakespeare 1603:

Thy sharpe and sulpherous bolt Splits the vn-wedgable [unwedgable] and gnarled Oke [oak].

Measure for Measure, Act II, scene ii, line 116

Variant of knurled, from knurl. Surface analysis is gnarl +‎ -ed, though gnarl is a later back-formation. Popular use by 19th century.

Adjective

gnarled (comparative more gnarled, superlative most gnarled)

1. knotty and misshapen
2. made rough by age or hard work

Synonyms

• gnarly

Derived terms

• gnarl

Translations

knotty and misshapen

• Dutch: knoestig (nl), misvormd (nl)
• Finnish: pahkainen (fi), ryhmyinen (fi)

• French: noueux (fr), ratatiné (fr)
• Italian: bitorzoluto (it) m

made rough by age or hard work

• Irish: casta (ga)

Verb

gnarled

1. simple past tense and past participle of gnarl (Etymology 1)

Etymology 2

See gnarl (Etymology 2)

Verb

gnarled

1. simple past tense and past participle of gnarl (Etymology 2)

Anagrams

• dangler