From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgnawgnaw /nɔː $ nɒː/ verb [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] BITEto keep biting something hard SYN chew Dexter gnawed his pen thoughtfully. A rat had gnawed a hole in the box.gnaw at/on The puppy was gnawing on a bone.► see thesaurus at bite → gnaw (away) at somebody/something→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
gnaw• He had a wound on his thumb, which he gnawed as he looked worriedly around the car.• Deep in the interstices of daily life, no doubt, frustrations gnawed at him and resentments festered.• Terry saw other apes biting themselves and each other and gnawing at the bars, all classic signs of distress.• The cat began to gnaw at the skin of the dead snake.• It was too big a puzzle and she let it go although it gnawed away at the back of her mind.• The dog lay in the yard and gnawed its bone.• We discovered this when the power company discovered that the pole had been so deeply gnawed that it became unsafe.• A rat's teeth are strong enough to gnaw through lead pipes.• If hungry he'd gnaw your ankle just to let you know to fill his bowl.gnaw at/on• Rats gnawed on black infants' feet, while money was used to build new police stations around the corner.• A guilty pain began gnawing at her chest.• Deep in the interstices of daily life, no doubt, frustrations gnawed at him and resentments festered.• Now I took it out and gnawed on it as I went.• Now the buds are blossoming and the cricketing itch is gnawing at our stomachs.• Terry saw other apes biting themselves and each other and gnawing at the bars, all classic signs of distress.• Gentle gnawing on the tiny bones appeals to our most basic, primordial instincts.• Did you get to die a horrible death with giant ants gnawing at your body?Origin gnaw Old English gnagan 