gnathonic

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/nəˈθɒnɪk/

adjective

Deceitful and flattering; toadying.

OriginMedieval Latin Gnathōnicus ← Ancient Greek γνάθος →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

adjectivegnathonic (comparative more gnathonic, superlative most gnathonic)

comparative more gnathonic · superlative most gnathonic · alternative gnathonical

  1. obsoleteDeceitful and flattering; toadying.

    That Jack's is somewhat of a gnathonic and parasitic soul, or stomach, all Bideford apple-women know: […]

    1855, Charles Kingsley, “The True and Tragical History of Mr. John Oxenham of Plymouth”, in Westward Ho!: Or, The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, […], volume I, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 295

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekγνάθος“jaw”
  2. Medieval LatinGnathōnicus
  3. Englishgnathonic

Borrowed from Medieval Latin Gnathōnicus, from Gnathō (genitive Gnathōnis), name of a parasitical character in the Eunuchus of Terence. Gnathō is from Ancient Greek γνάθος (gnáthos, “jaw”), used in the genitive γνάθου (gnáthou, “of a jaw”) to mean “greedy”; hence, a parasite in general.

More words from Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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