gnarled

Everyday

1. Twisted, rough and full of knots, like an old tree trunk or branch. tree →
2. (of hands or fingers) Bent and knobbly, often from old age or hard work. tree →

In the lessons

In stories «gnarled» trees create a spooky or ancient mood in forests; gnarled hands show an old or hard-working character, like a wise old woman or farmer. In descriptive writing lessons it is a strong, vivid adjective. Phrases: gnarled oak, gnarled roots, gnarled hands.

Examples

• A gnarled old oak stood by the gate. tree →
• The witch pointed a gnarled finger at the children. tree →
• The gnarled roots made it hard to walk along the path. tree →
• Grandad's gnarled hands still mend fishing nets. tree →
• Gnarled olive trees can live for hundreds of years. tree →
• The wind had twisted the tree into a gnarled shape. tree →
• He called her his dryad, she said, and the tree his tree; for the grand old oak, with its gnarled trunk, was just to his taste. tree →

Note

Silent g: pronounced «narld». Related noun: gnarl (a knot in wood). Do not confuse with «gnawed» (chewed), also with a silent g. «Gnarly» in surfer slang (US, Australia) can mean «great» or «dangerous».