Forms: 3–4 knarre, 7, 9 knare, 9 knar, knaur; 5, 7 gnarre, 9 gnar(r. [ME. knarre = LG. knarre(n, Du. knar stump (of an old tree), knot, knob. Cf. KNUR.
The history in Eng. is obscure. From 14th to 19th c. there are app. no genuine examples of its use, Dryden’s knare (copied by later writers) being based on knarie, KNARRY in Chaucer. The spelling with gn-, usual in recent glossaries, may be partly due to gnarled.]
1. A rugged rock or stone. Now dial.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 999. That lond nis god,… Ac wildernisse nit is and weste, Knarres and cludes.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2166. Hyȝe bonkkez & brent … & ruȝe knokled knarrez, with knorned stonez.
1837. Thornber, Hist. Blackpool, 184 (E. D. D.). Gnarrs are large beds of stones, covered with incrustations formed by insects for their habitations.
2. A knot in wood; spec. a mass originating in an abortive branch, forming a protuberance covered with bark, on the trunk or root of a tree.
1382. Wyclif, Wisd. xiii. 13. A crokid tree, and ful of knarres [1388 knottis].
1623. Cockeram, Gnarre, a hard knot in wood.
1700. Dryden, Palamon & Arcite, 1146. Prickly stubs, instead of trees,… Or woods with knots and knares deformed and old.
1805. Miss Seward, in Polwhele, Trad. & Recoll. (1826), II. 572. The … knots and knares with which it was covered.
1814. Cary, Dante’s Inf., XIII. 4. Not light The boughs and tapering, but with knares deform’d.
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., s.v. (E. D. D.), The stick with which the game is played, having a gnar or knot at the end of it.
1869. M. T. Masters, Veget. Teratol., 419. Knaurs may occasionally be used for purposes of propagation.
† 3. A knotted, thick-set fellow. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 549. He was short scholdred, brood, a thikke knarre [so most MSS.; Lansd. gnarre].
Hence Knarred a., knotted, gnarled.
1849. Longf., Building of the Ship, 59. The knarred and crooked cedar knees.
1856. Aird, Poet. Wks., 19. Gnared with knots and knobs.
