hew

3 entries found for hew.
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hew HEW rough-hew

Main Entry: hew
Pronunciation: 'hyü
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): hewed; hewed or hewn /'hyün/; hew·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hEawan; akin to Old High German houwan to hew, Lithuanian kauti to forge, Latin cudere to beat
transitive verb
1 : to cut with blows of a heavy cutting instrument
2 : to fell by blows of an ax <hew a tree>
3 : to give form or shape to with or as if with heavy cutting blows <hewed their farms from the wilderness -- J. T. Shotwell>
intransitive verb
1 : to make cutting blows
2 : CONFORM, ADHERE <hew to tradition> -- often used in the phrase hew to the line <no pressure...on newspapers to hew to the official line -- New York Times Magazine>
- hew·er noun