maw

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noun \ ˈmȯ \

Definition of maw

1 :the receptacle into which food is taken by swallowing:

a :stomach

b :crop

2 a :the throat, gullet, or jaws especially of a voracious animal

the gaping maw of the tiger

b :something suggestive of a gaping maw

the dark maw of the cave

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Examples of maw in a Sentence

the gaping maw of the tiger

Recent Examples of maw from the Web

The wood held him in the maw of the river's hydraulic force as water pounded over his head, often bending him at the waist.

— james bennett, Alaska Dispatch News, "Video: Bystander saves kayaker’s life in daring whitewater rescue near Hope," 16 Aug. 2017
Tongue hanging out, slobber trailing from his maw, the 4-year-old bulldog gives a push with his hind legs, hops up onto his custom skateboard and begins to cruise.

— nathan pilling, USA TODAY, "This bulldog taught himself to skateboard," 16 Aug. 2017
Moreover, my truck can disappear into the maw of the bureaucratic state without a single person being charged with or convicted of a crime.

— david french, National Review, "America’s Asset-Forfeiture Scam Is Law Enforcement’s Disgrace," 20 July 2017
That’s a highly flammable statement that, predictably, fed directly into the tabloids’ maw.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "50 parting thoughts from Wimbledon 2017," 15 July 2017
These new coin mining cards are just more food for that hungry maw.

— brad chacos, PCWorld, "AMD, Nvidia coin mining graphics cards appear as gaming GPU shortage intensifies," 28 June 2017
The critter opens wide, and Womer shoves his head toward the gaping maw.

— todd masson, NOLA.com, "Alligator bites video camera attached to man's head," 26 June 2017
The Royals will send rookie right-hander Jake Junis into the maw on Tuesday night.

— rustin dodd, kansascity.com, "Royals fall victim to surging Astros in 7-3 victory," 5 June 2017
All of them, no doubt, are hoping for some productive time away from Washington and the hungry maw of Congress, the press, and late-night TV.

— loren dejonge schulman, The Atlantic, "Trump's First Presidential Trip Abroad: What Could Go Wrong?," 20 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maw.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of maw

Middle English, from Old English maga; akin to Old High German mago stomach, Lithuanian makas purse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

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MAW Defined for English Language Learners

maw

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noun

Definition of maw for English Language Learners

: the mouth, jaws, or throat of an animal

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Definition of maw

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