chew
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /tʃuː/
ipa: /tʃʉw/
ipa: /tʃɪʊ̯/
enpr: cho͞o
ipa: /t͡ʃ(j)u/
rhymes: -uː
Forms: form: chews
form: chewing
form: chewed
form: chewed
form: chewn
Etymology: From Middle English chewen, from Old English ċēowan, from Proto-West Germanic *keuwan, from Proto-Germanic *kewwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵyewh₁-. Cognate with West Frisian kôgje, Low German käwwen, Dutch kauwen, German kauen; also Latin gingīva (“gums”), Tocharian B śuwaṃ (“to eat”), Polish żuć (“to chew”), Persian جویدن (javidan), Pashto ژول (žovạl, “to bite, gnaw”).
Senses: examples: text: Make sure to chew thoroughly, and don't talk with your mouth full!
text: The steak was tough to chew as it had been cooked too long.
text: The same chewn upon maketh one to avoid much phlegm.
ref: 1578, Henry Lyte, A niewe Herball:
text: 1971-79, Journal of Glenn T. Seaborg
And gruesome they areː We find cattle still alive with hindquarters chewn off, still alive with their eyes chewn out, their ears chewn off, their noses and faces chewn till they look like (a) Hamburger, their tails hanging in shreds. Or, we find them after a slow and cruel death. Can you understand why cattlemen will shoot YOUR dog if he is seen wandering on ranchland?
text: But meanwhile Mademoiselle's book had at least been found under an arm-chair where it had been dragged, chewn up and torn to pieces by a young pug-dog or by a kitten.
ref: 1976, Denis Diderot, translated by Leonard Tancock, Rameau's Nephew / D'alembert's Dream:
text: He wore two sweaters, both moth chewn and filthy but warm.
ref: 2001, Keith Douglass, Seal Team Seven 14: Death Blow:
text: His left cheek seemed to have been cut and chewn awayǃ
ref: 2010, Tony Reynolds, The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes:
glosses: To crush with the teeth by repeated closing and opening of the jaws; done to food to soften it and break it down by the action of saliva before it is swallowed.
examples: text: He keeps his feed in steel drums to prevent the mice from chewing holes in the feed-sacks.
text: The harsh desert wind and sand had chewed the stump into ragged strips of wood.
glosses: To grind, tear, or otherwise degrade or demolish something with teeth or as with teeth.
examples: text: The professor stood at the blackboard, chalk in hand, and chewed the question the student had asked.
text: Old politicians chew on wisdom past.
ref: 1734, Alexander Pope, Epistle to Cobham:
text: He chews revenge, abjuring his offense.
ref: 1711, Matthew Prior, to Mr. Harley, wounded by Guiscard:
glosses: To think about something; to ponder; to chew over.
Synonyms: sense: crush food with teeth prior to swallowing
word: bite
sense: crush food with teeth prior to swallowing
word: chavel
sense: crush food with teeth prior to swallowing
word: chomp
sense: crush food with teeth prior to swallowing
word: crunch
sense: crush food with teeth prior to swallowing
word: masticate
sense: degrade or demolish as if with teeth
word: grind
sense: degrade or demolish as if with teeth
word: pulverize
sense: degrade or demolish as if with teeth
word: rip
sense: degrade or demolish as if with teeth
word: shred
sense: degrade or demolish as if with teeth
word: tear
sense: think about
word: contemplate
sense: think about
word: ruminate
sense: think about
word: mull
sense: think about
word: muse
sense: think about
word: ponder
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: bite off more than one can chew
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chewable
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew-and-spit
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chewer
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chewing ball
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chewing gum
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chewing louse
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chewing sponge
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chewing stick
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chewing tobacco
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew off
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew on
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew on one's nails
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew on the scenery
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew out
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew over
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew stick
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew the cud
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew the fat
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew the meat and spit out the bones
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew the rag
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew the scenery
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew up
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew up and spit out
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chew up the scenery
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: chewy
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: cut off more than one can chew
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: I don't chew my cabbage twice
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: mad enough to chew nails
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: prechew
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: rag-chewing
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: rechew
sense: Terms derived from chew (verb)
word: walk and chew gum at the same time