mar·row

1 [mar-oh]
noun
1.
Anatomy. a soft, fatty, vascular tissue in the interior cavities of bones that is a major site of blood cell production.
2.
the inmost or essential part: to pierce to the marrow of a problem.
3.
strength or vitality: Fear took the marrow out of him.
4.
rich and nutritious food.
5.
Chiefly British, vegetable marrow.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English mar(o)we, Old English mearg; cognate with Dutch merg, German Mark, Old Norse mergr

mar·row·ish, adjective
mar·row·less, adjective
mar·row·y, adjective
00:10
Marrow is always a great word to know.
So is diaphragm. Does it mean:
the part of the arm between the elbow and the wrist
a muscular, membranous or ligamentous wall separating the thoracic or chest cavity from the abdominal cavity in mammals
Dictionary.com Unabridged

mar·row

2 [mar-oh; Scot. mar-uh]
noun Scot. and North England.
1.
a partner; fellow worker.
2.
a spouse; helpmate.
3.
a companion; close friend.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English marwe fellow worker, partner, perhaps < Old Norse margr friendly, literally, many

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
marrow1 (ˈmærəʊ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the fatty network of connective tissue that fills the cavities of bones
2.  the vital part; essence
3.  vitality
4.  rich food
5.  (Brit) short for vegetable marrow
 
[Old English mærg; related to Old Frisian merg, Old Norse mergr]
 
'marrowy1
 
adj

marrow2 (ˈmærəʊ, -rə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
dialect chiefly (Northeast English), (Durham) a companion, esp a workmate
 
[C15 marwe fellow worker, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare Icelandic margr friendly]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

marrow
O.E. mearg "marrow," earlier mærh, from P.Gmc. *mazga- (cf. O.N. mergr, Du. merg, Ger. Marh "marrow"), from PIE *mozgho- "marrow, brains" (cf. Skt. majjan-, Avestan mazga- "marrow," O.C.S. mozgu, Lith. smagenes "brain"). Fig. sense of "inmost or central part" is attested from c.1400.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

marrow mar·row (mār'ō)
n.

  1. bone marrow.

  2. The spinal cord.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
marrow   (mār'ō)  Pronunciation Key 
See bone marrow.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

marrow definition


The soft, specialized connective tissue that fills the cavities of bones. One kind of bone marrow is responsible for manufacturing red blood cells in the body.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Cancellous bone provides the framework on which bone marrow cells grow and also makes essential minerals available to the body.
Secondary aplastic anemia is a failure of the bone marrow to make enough blood cells.
The best treatment for the disease is a bone marrow transplant from an immunologically matched sibling.
He was charming, he was funny, and he was genuinely interested in how bone
  marrow treatments were done.
Image for marrow
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