Marrow
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 The substance inside bones which produces blood cells. uncountable
"Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear."
- 2 A friend, pal, buddy, mate. Geordie, informal
"Cheers marrow!"
- 3 the fatty network of connective tissue that fills the cavities of bones wordnet
- 4 A kind of vegetable similar to a large courgette, zucchini or squash. countable, uncountable
"The finest European vegetables, cabbages, cauliflowers, potatoes, vegetable marrow, were lying in the market-hall, awaiting purchasers."
- 5 A miner's mate or assistant. obsolete, slang
"A 'getter' or miner is paid 1½ to 2 cents per hundred weight of Coals excavated, […] but out of this sum, his "marrows" or assistants who do the business of 'putting' and 'hurrying' for him must be paid […]"
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience wordnet
- 7 The pith of certain plants. countable, uncountable
- 8 One of a pair; a match; a companion; an intimate associate. Scotland, archaic
"The moon’s my constant Mistresse / & the lowlie owle my morrowe. / The flaming Drake and yͤ Nightcrowe make / mee musicke to my sorrowe."
- 9 large elongated squash with creamy to deep green skins wordnet
- 10 The essence; the best part. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"It takes from our achievements[…]/ The pith and marrow of our attribute."
- 11 very tender and very nutritious tissue from marrowbones wordnet
- 12 The inner meaning or purpose. countable, figuratively, uncountable
- 13 any of various squash plants grown for their elongated fruit with smooth dark green skin and whitish flesh wordnet
- 14 Bone marrow biopsy. colloquial, countable
"This patient will have a marrow today."
- 15 Semen. obsolete, uncountable
"Parolles: He wears his honour in a box, unseen / That hugs his kicky-wicky here at home, / Spending his manly marrow in her arms / Of Mars’s fiery steed."
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"She needs a bone marrow transplant, but she has not found a donor yet."
Etymology
From Middle English mary, marow, marwe, marowȝ, from Old English mearg, from Proto-West Germanic *maʀg, from Proto-Germanic *mazgą, *mazgaz, from Proto-Indo-European *mosgʰos. Compare West Frisian moarch, Dutch merg, German Mark, Swedish märg, Icelandic mergur, and also Russian мозг (mozg, “brain”), Polish mózg (“brain”), Ashkun amōźã, Kamkata-viri muč, muj, Waigali muj, Persian مغز (maġz, “brain”), Sanskrit मज्जन् (majján). Doublet of maghaz.
From Old Norse margr.