girn

verb

girned; girning; girns

intransitive verb

chiefly Scotland
: snarl
girn noun chiefly Scotland

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, alteration of grinnen to grin, snarl

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of girn was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near girn

Cite this Entry

“Girn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girn. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!