gnag

G2N1A1G2

verb

To gnaw; nibble; bite at (something)

OriginMiddle English *gnaggen ← Old Norse gnaga ← Proto-Germanic *gnaganą →
Scrabble 6
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Meanings

verbgnag (third-person singular simple present gnags, present participle gnagging, simple past and past participle gnagged)

present singular third person gnags · participle present gnagging · participle past gnagged · past gnagged · alternative knag

  1. Northern EnglandScotlandTo gnaw; nibble; bite at (something)
  2. Northern EnglandScotlandTo worry; scold; torment; nag

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*gnaganą“to gnaw”
  2. Old Norsegnaga“to gnaw”
  3. Middle English*gnaggen
  4. Englishgnag

From Middle English *gnaggen, *gnagen, from Old Norse gnaga (“to gnaw”), from Proto-Germanic *gnaganą (“to gnaw”). More at English gnaw.

More words from Middle English, Old Norse, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

gang
Cite this entry
APA

gnag. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gnag

MLA

“gnag.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gnag. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gnag,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gnag.

Source: gnag on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.