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ronger

to gnaw; to eat away

verb ron-ZHEH Less Common

Usage Note

Ronger describes the action of gnawing — a dog gnawing a bone (ronger un os) — but also figurative erosion: l'inquiétude le ronge (worry is eating him up). The expression se ronger les ongles means to bite one's nails. Rongeur (gnawer) is the noun for a rodent.

Examples

"Le chien ronge son os avec plaisir."

Natural Translation

The dog gnaws its bone with pleasure.

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