Plural of gnawing; instances or feelings of persistent biting, scraping, or metaphorical anxiety.
From gnaw plus -ing suffix creating a gerund (noun form of a verb), then pluralized with -s. Can refer to actual gnawing actions or metaphorical emotional sensations.
Poets love 'gnawings of conscience' and 'gnawings of doubt'—the word works perfectly for that persistent, uncomfortable sensation because actual gnawing is both steady and irritating!
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