"gnarl" in the noun sense
1. knot, gnarl
something twisted and tight and swollen
"their muscles stood out in knots"
"the old man's fists were two great gnarls"
"his stomach was in knots"
"gnarl" in the verb sense
1. gnarl
twist into a state of deformity
"The wind has gnarled this old tree"
2. murmur, mutter, grumble, croak, gnarl
make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath
"she grumbles when she feels overworked"
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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