chew

[choo] /tʃu/
verb (used with object)
1.
to crush or grind with the teeth; masticate.
2.
to crush, damage, injure, etc., as if by chewing (often followed by up):
The faulty paper feeder chewed the letters up.
3.
to make by or as if by chewing:
The puppy chewed a hole in my slipper.
4.
to meditate on; consider deliberately (often followed by over):
He chewed the problem over in his mind.
verb (used without object)
5.
to perform the act of crushing or grinding with the teeth.
6.
Informal. to chew tobacco.
7.
to meditate.
noun
8.
an act or instance of chewing.
9.
something chewed or intended for chewing:
a chew of tobacco; taffy chews.
Verb phrases
10.
chew out, Slang. to scold harshly:
The sergeant chewed out the recruits.
Idioms
11.
chew the fat, Informal. to converse at length in a relaxed manner; chat:
They liked to sit around chewing the fat.
Also, chew the rag.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English chewen, Old English cēowan; cognate with Old High German kiuwan (German kauen)
Related forms
chewer, noun
unchewed, adjective
well-chewed, adjective
Can be confused
chews, choose.
Examples from the web for chew
  • Now the patient can chew and swallow food and is relearning to brush his teeth.
  • Hominids had teeth that resembled those of pigs and bears, which can chew tough, fiber-rich food.
  • The crust is light, with a puffy edge and yeasty chew.
  • Student, students are merciful and recognised they chew something.
  • Rats can chew through wire and even steel, obliterating infrastructure.
  • Standing waist-deep in muddy water, they chew coca leaves to stave off exhaustion and hunger.
  • After all, a lot of today's busy people don't even have time to chew their food.
  • We can walk and chew gum at the same time without bumping into utility poles.
  • Now pop one of the jellybeans into your mouth and chew, without letting go of your nose.
  • If that were the case, calories would be calculated on a case-to-case basis, since some people chew more than others.
British Dictionary definitions for chew

chew

/tʃuː/
verb
1.
to work the jaws and teeth in order to grind (food); masticate
2.
to bite repeatedly: she chewed her nails anxiously
3.
(intransitive) to use chewing tobacco
4.
(slang) chew the fat, chew the rag
  1. to argue over a point
  2. to talk idly; gossip
noun
5.
the act of chewing
6.
something that is chewed: a chew of tobacco
See also chew out, chew over, chew up
Derived Forms
chewable, adjective
chewer, noun
Word Origin
Old English ceowan; related to Old High German kiuwan, Dutch kauwen, Latin gingīva a gum
Word Origin and History for chew
v.

Old English ceowan "to bite, gnaw, chew," from West Germanic *keuwwan (cf. Middle Low German keuwen, Dutch kauwen, Old High German kiuwan, German kauen), from PIE root *gyeu- "to chew" (cf. Old Church Slavonic živo "to chew," Lithuanian žiaunos "jaws," Persian javidan "to chew").

Figurative sense of "to think over" is from late 14c.; to chew the rag "discusss some matter" is from 1885, apparently originally British army slang. Related: Chewed; chewing. To chew (someone) out (1948) probably is military slang from World War II. Chewing gum is by 1843, American English, originally hardened secretions of the spruce tree.

n.

c.1200, "an act of chewing," from chew (v.). Meaning "wad of tobacco chewed at one time" is from 1725; as a kind of chewy candy, by 1906.

Slang definitions & phrases for chew

chew

noun

: He had big chew in his cheek (1920s+)

verb
  1. To chew tobacco (1930s+)
  2. To eat (1890+)
  3. (also chew over) To talk; converse; discuss; jaw: We got together to chew about the election/ Drop up and chew it over (1890s+)

Idioms and Phrases with chew

chew

also see:
bite off more than one can chew