1. to growl in an angry or threatening way
2. to twist or distort into a rough, knotted shape

1. a rough, twisted knot in wood or a similar material

Examples

• The old dog began to gnarl at the stranger approaching the house.
• Years of harsh weather had gnarled the ancient oak tree’s branches.
• The carpenter had to work around a large gnarl in the wooden plank.
• His hands were gnarled from decades of hard labor.
• The wolf’s gnarl warned the hikers to keep their distance.
• She tried to sand down the gnarl in the table’s surface.
• The tree’s trunk was full of gnarls and twisted bark.