From Middle English gnasten. Origin unknown; the word is probably either Germanic or ultimately onomatopoeic. Compare Old Norse gnastan, Danish gnaske ("munch", "crunch"), German knirschen, German Low German gnirschen, gnörschen (“gnash”), Swedish gnissla (“squeak; gnash”), all of onomatopoeic origin.
From Middle English gnasten. Origin unknown; the word is probably either Germanic or ultimately onomatopoeic. Compare Old Norse gnastan, Danish gnaske ("munch", "crunch"), German knirschen, German Low German gnirschen, gnörschen (“gnash”), Swedish gnissla (“squeak; gnash”), all of onomatopoeic origin.
Meanings
(transitive) To grind (one's teeth) in pain or in anger.
gnashing your teeth
(transitive) To grind between the teeth.
The dog was gnashing a carpet
to gnash the air in fury
(figuratively) To clash together violently.
There they were, boiling up in snowy spouts of spray, smiting and gnashing together like the gleaming teeth of hell. 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
gl rilar (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · is nísta (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · grc βρύκω (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ru скрежета́ть (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · lv griezt (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · yue 齧齒 /啮齿 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ca cruixir (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · mi tetēā (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · mi nenē (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · hu fogát csikorgatja (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · sh škrgùtati (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · lt griežti (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · cmn 䶟 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · hi पीसना (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · pt ranger (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · rm sgriziar (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · yue 咬牙切齒 /咬牙切齿 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · rm sgriztgar (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · el τρίζω (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ceb kagot (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · nan-hbl 切齒 /切齿 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ar قَرَشَ (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · fo grísla (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · yue 䫴 /𩖗 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · cmn 咬牙切齒 /咬牙切齿 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · mi whakatetēā (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · pt rilhar (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · da skære tænder (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · grc γομφιάζω (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ka აღრჭიალებს (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · nl tandenknarsen (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · la frendo (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · gl rillar (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · nl knarsetanden (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · grc πρίω (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · br grigoñsat (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · it dirugginire (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · cs skřípat (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · pl zgrzytać (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · io grincar (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · lt griežinti (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · hak 切齒 /切齿 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · shn ၵတ်းၶဵဝ်ႈၵတ်းၽၼ်း (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · cmn 齧齒 /啮齿 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · fr grincer (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · de knirschen (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · cmn 䫴 /𩖗 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · fr serrer les dents (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · cmn 咬牙 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · fa ساییدن (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · uk скреготати (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ko 갈다 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · nb skjære tenner (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · sh шкргу̀тати (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · it digrignare (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · yue 切齒 /切齿 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · yue 䶟 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ja 歯軋りする (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · yue 咬牙 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · got 𐌺𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ro scrâșni din dinți (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · fi kiristellä (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · it sbattere (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · hak 咬牙 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ur پِیسْنا (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · hu csikorgatja a fogát (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ka კბილებს აღრჭიალებს (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · eo grincigi (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · br charoñsiñ (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ka კბილებს აღრჭენს (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · cmn 切齒 /切齿 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · es crujir de dientes (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · vi nghiến răng (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · ka აღრჭენს (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · it scuotere (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · fi kiristää (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · nan-tws 咬牙切齒 /咬牙切齿 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · nan-hbl 咬牙 (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · bg скърцам със зъби (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · mi tetē (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · sco chirk (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · grc βρύχω (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · sv gnissla (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger) · th กัด (to grind one's teeth in pain or in anger)