: 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 WebBut a customer call leads her into the maw of an ethical dilemma.—Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 15 May 2024 Ice sits at the poles A planet perched right at the sun’s maw shouldn’t harbor any water, let alone ice—or so researchers thought.—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024 Wooden teeth would have filled Washington’s maw full of rotting pulp.—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2024 Even stars much bigger than our Sun can fall victim to the black hole’s extreme gravity and be pulled in toward its gaping maw.—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for maw
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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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