Gnar

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A rugged or twisted protrusion of wood or stone often found on trees or rocks; a slang term used to express something challenging or extreme in sports or adventures; a nickname for a person who is adventurous or skilled in extreme activities
2. A knotty or twisted growth on a tree or rough natural feature; a colloquial expression referring to difficult or intense situations in outdoor or athletic contexts; used informally to describe an expert or enthusiast of extreme sports
3. A rough, knobby lump typically on wood or bark; slang describing something intense or formidable in action sports or extreme conditions; a casual moniker for someone proficient in daring or hazardous activities

Etymology: The noun "gnar" for a knot or twisted growth on a tree is the older sense, and it traces back to Old English "gnyrran," a verb meaning to snarl or grind the teeth. The link runs through the idea of a tight, twisted tangle, which is also what a gnarled knot looks like. Over centuries the sense of a knotted, distorted lump on wood or rock stayed put, while the verb largely faded out of use. The slangier sense, meaning something difficult or intense, especially in surfing, skiing, skateboarding and other extreme sports, is a clipping of "gnarly." It is the adjective's shortened form, and the expression of approval or awe that came with it carried over into the noun, so an expert or daredevil in these sports could be called a gnar. The word thus carries two distinct lives: one rooted in the physical texture of old wood, the other in the high-energy vocabulary of the modern action-sports scene.