: 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
Examples of maw in a Sentence
the gaping maw of the tiger
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Valued for their swim bladders, or fish maw, fish in the Sciaenidae family fetch high prices in international markets.—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 There was a pterosaur found preserved in its stomach and there were iguanodon remains found in the maw of a Baryonyx, another large carnivore belonging to the same lineage as the Spinosaurus.—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025 There also would have been the practical difficulty of running the nation’s most populous state, a maw of endless crises and challenges, while at the same time pursuing the presidency.—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025 Plus that stuff would eventually get devoured by the maw too since AI models could just grab it to train on.—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for maw
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English maga; akin to Old High German mago stomach, Lithuanian makas purse
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of maw was
before the 12th century
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