The Britannica Dictionary
mobile search
Home
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
×
Britannica Homepage
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
The Britannica Dictionary
maw
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
maw
(noun)
maw
/
ˈ
mɑː/
noun
plural
maws
maw
/
ˈ
mɑː/
noun
plural
maws
Britannica Dictionary definition of MAW
[
count
]
literary
:
the mouth, jaws, or throat of an animal
the gaping
maw
of the tiger
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
—
often used figuratively
the dark
maw
of the cave
prisoners falling into the gaping
maw
of the criminal justice system
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
ASK THE EDITOR
In what ways is the word 'fish' used as singular and plural?
See the answer »
QUIZZES
Vocabulary Quiz
Test your word power
Take the Quiz »
Name That Thing
Take our visual quiz
Test Your Knowledge »
WORD OF THE DAY
egotist
:
a person who has the feeling or belief that they are better, more important, more talented, etc., than other people
Learn More »