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Added 8 October 2026

gnash

/ˈnæʃ/ verb

In Latin: frendo Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about gnash at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To grind (one's teeth) in pain or in anger.
gnashing your teeth
To grind between the teeth.
to gnash the air in fury
To clash together violently.

noun

A sudden snapping of the teeth.

Origin

From Middle English gnasten. Origin unknown; the word is probably either Germanic or ultimately onomatopoeic. Compare Old Norse gnastan, Danish gnaske ("munch", "crunch"), German knirschen, German Low German gnirschen, gnörschen (“gnash”), Swedish gnissla (“squeak; gnash”), all of onomatopoeic origin.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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