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View synonyms for

chew

[ choo ]

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)

  1. to perform the act of crushing or grinding with the teeth.
  2. Informal. to chew tobacco.
  3. to meditate.

noun

  1. an act or instance of chewing.
  2. something chewed or intended for chewing:

    a chew of tobacco; taffy chews.

verb phrase

  1. Slang. to scold harshly:

    The sergeant chewed out the recruits.

chew

/ ʃː /

verb

  1. to work the jaws and teeth in order to grind (food); masticate
  2. to bite repeatedly

    she chewed her nails anxiously

  3. intr to use chewing tobacco
  4. chew the fat or chew the rag slang.
    1. to argue over a point
    2. to talk idly; gossip
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act of chewing
  2. something that is chewed

    a chew of tobacco

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈɲ, adjective
  • ˈɱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • İ noun
  • ܲ·ɱ adjective
  • ɱ-ɱ adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of chew1

before 1000; Middle English chewen, Old English ŧǷɲ; cognate with Old High German kiuwan ( German kauen )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of chew1

Old English ceowan; related to Old High German kiuwan, Dutch kauwen, Latin Բī a gum
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. chew the fat, Informal. to converse at length in a relaxed manner; chat: Also chew the rag.

    They liked to sit around chewing the fat.

More idioms and phrases containing chew

  • bite off more than one can chew
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Folks, it’s time to walk and chew gum, as the old saying goes.

From

"From minute one this season, we haven't been at a level to fully compete in the Premier League and you have to be because it'll chew you up and spit you out."

From

It is to be hoped he did not follow his own advice otherwise he would have missed a thriller that left the stadium knee-deep in chewed fingernails by the final whistle.

From

It gives the frosting a bit of chew and lets the tanginess of the cream cheese shine through—especially when you use less sugar overall.

From

I love the squeak of halloumi, the way it bounces off your teeth, the chew, the salinity.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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