gnarls

Twists into knots

Gnarls is the third-person singular of gnarl, meaning to twist or contort into knots.

Tree trunks gnarl with age; arthritis gnarls fingers.

The word appears far more often as the adjective gnarled: gnarled oak branches, gnarled hands.

The noun gnarl—a knot in wood—is rare outside technical contexts.

woodgrain

knot

Tied rope fastening

burlKnotty tree outgrowth
grainCereal plant's harvest unit
barkSharp canine vocalization

trunk · timber · driftwood · oak · root · branch · heartwood · knothole · woodwork · weathered

twisted

contorted

Twisted unnaturally

warpedBent out of true
twistedWound around itself
bentCurved; also dishonest

crooked · knotted · tangled · coiled · spiral · deformed · misshapen · wrenched · kinked · snarled

sound

growl

Low threatening sound

snarlHostile vocal threat
rumbleLow rolling sound
gruffHarsh in manner

raspy · gravelly · guttural · throaty · hoarse · bark · grunt · grumble · croak · harsh

texture

rough

Uneven in surface

bumpyUneven in surface
lumpyHaving irregular bumps
knobblyHaving small lumps

rugged · coarse · ridged · uneven · weathered · craggy · pitted · corrugated · bulbous · protuberant

age

ancient

Very old indeed

oldExisting many years
weatheredEroded by exposure
time-wornEroded by age

venerable · hoary · aged · wizened · seasoned · elderly · patriarch · matriarch · centenarian · graybeard

Opposites

physical form/texture

Eliminates roughness or wrinkles

straightens · evens · unknots · untwists · flattens

process/action

Eliminates roughness or wrinkles

straightens · smoothing · straightening · untangles · unkinks

surface texture/form

Eliminates roughness or wrinkles

smoothes · polishes · evens · planes · buffs

Phrases

gnarled rootsTwisted underground tree parts

Family

gnarled, gnarly, gnarl, gnarliest, gnarling

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G