To gnaw or bite at something persistently or to gnaw completely through.
From be- (prefix) + gnaw (from Old English gnagan, related to German nagen). The prefix intensifies the action of gnawing, suggesting thoroughness or persistence.
Like many 'be-' verbs, 'begnaw' suggests an action carried through to completion—the prefix transforms a simple action into something more intense or comprehensive, a pattern that gave English speakers incredible flexibility in expressing completeness.
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