chew

[choo] /tʃu/

verb (used with object)

to crush or grind with the teeth; masticate.

to crush, damage, injure, etc., as if by chewing (often followed by up):

The faulty paper feeder chewed the letters up.

to make by or as if by chewing:

The puppy chewed a hole in my slipper.

to meditate on; consider deliberately (often followed by over):

He chewed the problem over in his mind.

verb (used without object)

to perform the act of crushing or grinding with the teeth.

Informal. to chew tobacco.

to meditate.

noun

an act or instance of chewing.

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.

British Dictionary definitions for chew out

chew out

verb

(transitive, adverb) (informal, mainly US & Canadian) to reprimand

chew

/tʃuː/

verb

to work the jaws and teeth in order to grind (food); masticate

to bite repeatedly: she chewed her nails anxiously

(intransitive) to use chewing tobacco

(slang) chew the fat, chew the rag

to argue over a point
to talk idly; gossip

noun

the act of chewing

something that is chewed: a chew of tobacco

chew

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.

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 out

chew

noun

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

verb

To chew tobacco (1930s+)
To eat (1890+)
(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 out

chew out

Scold harshly, as in Dad will chew you out for taking the car without permission . Originating in the military, this slangy term began to be used during World War I and soon spread to civilian life. Several vulgar versions, such as chew someone's ass out , should be avoided in polite speech. Also see eat out , def. 2.

chew

also see:

bite off more than one can chew