gnash

English

WOTD – 18 March 2007

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English gnasten. Origin unknown; the word is probably either Germanic or onomatopoeic. Compare Old Norse gnastan, German knirschen, German Low German gnirschen, gnörschen (“gnash”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /næʃ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æʃ

• Homophone: Nash

Verb

1. (transitive) To grind (one's teeth) in pain or in anger.

   to gnash the teeth

2. (transitive) To grind between the teeth.

   to gnash the air in fury

   to gnash a carpet

3. (Geordie) To run away.

Derived terms

• gnasher/gnashers
• gnashy

Translations

to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger

• Ancient Greek: βρύκω (brúkō), βρύχω (brúkhō), γομφιάζω (gomphiázō)
• Bulgarian: скърцам със зъби (skǎrcam sǎs zǎbi)
• Dutch: tandenknarsen (nl), knarsetanden (nl)
• Galician: rilar (gl), rillar (gl)
• German: knirschen (de)
• Greek:
• Hungarian: csikorgatja a fogát (hu), fogát csikorgatja (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: digrignare (it), dirugginire, sbattere (it), scuotere (it)
• Maori: tetē, tetēā, whakatetēā, nenē
• Norwegian: skjære tenner
• Persian: ساییدن (fa) (sâyidan)
• Polish: zgrzytać impf
• Spanish: crujir de dientes

Noun

gnash (plural gnashes)

1. A sudden snapping of the teeth.

Anagrams

• Ghans, Shang, hangs