maw

noun//

Frequency rank: #13,582 most common English word

Meaning

a gaping opening, mouth, or throat, especially one that seems to swallow things whole.

Illustration for the English word “maw”

Example sentence

The explorer stared into the dark maw of the cave before stepping inside.

Synonyms & related words

Practice this word in the quiz

More words in ranks 13,501–13,600