hew

hew

verb \ˈhyü\

hewedhewed or hewn\ˈhyün\hew·ing

Definition of HEW

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

Examples of HEW

1. They hewed logs to build a cabin.
2. The walls are built of stones hewn by skilled craftsmen.

Origin of HEW

Middle English, from Old English hēawan; akin to Old High German houwan to hew, Lithuanian kauti to forge, Latin cudere to beat

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to HEW

Synonyms: chop (down), cut (down), fell, mow

Related Words: bulldoze, demolish, flatten, level, raze, tear down

Near Antonyms: loosen; drop, fall

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with HEW

blue, boo, brew, chew, clew, clue, coo, coup, crew, cue, dew, do, doux, due, ewe, few, flu, flue, fou, glue, gnu, goo, hue, Jew, Koo, lieu, loo, mew, moo, moue, mu, new, nu, ooh, pew, phew, pooh, q, queue, roux, rue, screw, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skew, slew, slough, slue, smew, sou, sous, spew, sprue, stew, strew, sue, Sue, thew, through, to, too, true, two, u, view, whew, who, woo, xu, yew, you, zoo