marrow - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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.

marrow (countable and uncountable, plural marrows)

Transected beef bones, exposing the marrow inside

Vegetable marrows

  1. (uncountable) The substance inside bones which produces blood cells.
    • 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:
      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 kind of vegetable similar to a large courgette, zucchini or squash; the mature fruit of certain Cucurbita pepo cultivars.
    • 1847, Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk, “Steam-Boat Voyage to Barbados”, in Bentley's Miscellany, volume XXII, London: Richard Bentley, page 37:
      The finest European vegetables, cabbages, cauliflowers, potatoes, vegetable marrow, were lying in the market-hall, awaiting purchasers.
  3. The pith of certain plants.
  4. (figurative) The essence; the best part.
    Synonyms: crux, gist; see also Thesaurus:gist
  5. (figurative) The inner meaning or purpose.
  6. (countable, medicine, colloquial) Bone marrow biopsy.
    This patient will have a marrow today.
    I was chilled to the marrow.
  7. (uncountable, obsolete) Semen.

substance inside bones — see also medulla

fruit of Cucurbita pepo

pith of certain plants — see also pith

essence

From Old Norse margr.

marrow (plural marrows)

  1. (Geordie, informal) A friend, pal, buddy, mate.
    Cheers marrow!
  2. (mining, slang, obsolete) A miner's mate or assistant.
    • 1855, Mining Magazine, page 519:
      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 […]
  3. (Scotland or archaic) One of a pair; a match; a companion; an intimate associate.
    • c. 1620, anonymous, “Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song” in Giles Earle his Booke (British Museum, Additional MSS. 24, 665):
      The moon’s my constant Mistresse / & the lowlie owle my morrowe. / The flaming Drake and yͤ Nightcrowe make / mee musicke to my sorrowe.
    • [**1917**, John Buchan, “[Theocritus in Scots.] The Kirn (Idyll vii).”, in Poems: Scots and English (in Scots), London; Edinburgh: T. C. & E. C. Jack, →OCLC, book I (Scots), page 38:
      The dreichest saul could see he had sunlicht in his ee, / And there's no his marrow left in the toun.
      The most cheerless soul could see he had sunlight in his eye, / And there's none his equal left in the town.]