marrow1

 
Pronunciation: /ˈmarəʊ/

noun

  • 1 (also vegetable marrow) British a long white-fleshed gourd with green skin, which is eaten as a vegetable.
  • 2the plant of the gourd family which produces marrows.
    • Cucurbita pepo, family Cucurbitaceae
  • 3 (also bone marrow) [mass noun] a soft fatty substance in the cavities of bones, in which blood cells are produced: [as modifier]: marrow donors a bone marrow transplant
  • 4the essential part of something: such men were the marrow of the organization

Phrases

to the marrow

to one’s innermost being: a sight which chilled me to the marrow

Derivatives

marrowless

adjective

marrowy

adjective

Origin:

Old English mearg, mærg (in marrow1 (sense 3)), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch merg and German Mark. marrow1 (sense 1) dates from the early 19th century