Gnaw v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gnawed p. pr. & vb. n. Gnawing.]
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.
His bones clean picked; his very bones they gnaw. --Dryden.
2. To bite in agony or rage.
They gnawed their tongues for pain. --Rev. xvi. 10.
3. To corrode; to fret away; to waste.