v. t. | 1. | To bite, as something hard or tough, which is not readily separated or crushed; to bite off little by little, with effort; to wear or eat away by scraping or continuous biting with the teeth; to nibble at. |
2. | To bite in agony or rage. | |
3. | To corrode; to fret away; to waste. | |
4. | To trouble in a constant manner; to plague; to worry; to vex; - usually used with | |
v. i. | 1. | To use the teeth in biting; to bite with repeated effort, as in eating or removing with the teeth something hard, unwieldy, or unmanageable. |
Verb | 1. | gnaw - bite or chew on with the teeth; "gnaw an old cracker"; "chewed on a cookie" |
2. | gnaw - become ground down or deteriorate; "Her confidence eroded" |