maw
Pronunciation: /mô
noun
1The jaws or throat of a voracious animal: a gigantic wolfhound with a fearful, gaping maw
1.1 • informal The mouth or gullet of a greedy person: I was cramming large pieces of toast and cheese down my maw
Origin
Old English maga (in the sense 'stomach'), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch maag and German Magen 'stomach'.
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Ma, had little tolerance for childish petulance. Her grin meant something different from the smiles of other mothers. I worked hard to stay on her good side. If I whined, there was no doubt in my mind that she would open her amazing maw and gleefully devour her own young.
[Extreme narrative license is taken with the sample sentence in this post. My mother was the epitome of tolerance. Her smile was "knowing", though, and I didn't gain any ground by being snotty.]
