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

Examples of maw in a Sentence

the gaping maw of the tiger
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What kind of people back a government that feeds an ally into the maw of Russian authoritarian expansionism and then blames the victim for it? Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025 Standing in the gaping maw of a garage is an Adonis, the bodybuilder Killian Maddox (Jonathan Majors). Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2025 Since February, and have blocked these borrowers' path out of default and are now feeding them into the maw of the government debt collection machine. Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025 In their passionate, fiery maw, there’s little room to do anything else, let alone be present with others. Big Think, 8 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maw. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

maw

noun
1
: a body part (as a stomach or a crop) that receives swallowed food
2
: the throat, gullet, or jaws especially of a flesh-eating animal

More from Merriam-Webster on maw

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!