chew

play

verb \ ˈchü \

Definition of chew

transitive verb

1 :to crush, grind, or gnaw (something, such as food) with or as if with the teeth :masticate

2 :to injure, destroy, or consume as if by chewing —usually used with up

chewing up profits

intransitive verb

:to chew something; specifically :to chew tobacco

—

chewable

play \-ə-bəl\ adjective

—

chewer

noun

—

chewy

play \ˈchü-ē\ adjective

— chew on

:to think about :ponder

chewing on the new developments

— chew the fat or less commonly chew the rag

:to make friendly familiar conversation :chat

See chew defined for English-language learners

See chew defined for kids

Examples of chew in a Sentence

We were taught to chew our food thoroughly before swallowing.
He chews with his mouth open.
You're not allowed to chew gum in class.
A mouse chewed through the cord.
The dog chewed a hole in the rug.

Recent Examples of chew from the Web

No chief of staff could ever quiet the billionaire’s bark, or keep him from chewing up the Oval Office scenery.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump May Be More Dangerous Than His Handlers Realized," 28 Aug. 2017
Ridiculous plotting and scenery-chewing antagonist.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "Uncharted: Lost Legacy," 17 Aug. 2017
Pop a small tablet in your mouth, begin to chew and take a sip of water.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Cosmetic mega god LUSH bucks big store trend, expands Louisville location," 11 Aug. 2017
At its best, the lure attracts scenery-chewing guest stars like Evan Jones as a bald, white supremacist biker gang leader, Zahn McClarnon as head of a vampire gang and Christopher Heyerdahl as a scary guy with dark powers and no associated gang.

— daniel fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Midnight, Texas': TV Review," 21 July 2017
But the leaves of the beanstalks had been wantonly chewed.

— john kass, chicagotribune.com, "Rabbit-hating gardener doing what must be done, even if it hurts," 19 July 2017
A stat to chew on: The top five teams in yards per pass on play-action snaps last season were Washington, Atlanta, San Diego, New England and Minnesota.

— andy benoit, The MMQB, "pic.twitter.com/GWuJvRTLPY," 10 July 2017
The cooks at Pom Pom clearly understand that the best part of eating a PB&J is chewing it and letting the sweetness of the jelly wrap around the solid backbone of the peanut butter.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink in Orlando," 30 June 2017
Learn how to stop chewing on the same problem over and over.

— heather havrilesky, The Cut, "Ask Polly: Was I Wrong to Dump My Boyfriend?," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chew.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of chew

Middle English, from Old English cēowan; akin to Old High German kiuwan to chew, Russian zhevat'

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

chew Synonyms

Synonyms

champ, chaw, bite (on), chomp (on), crunch (on), gnaw (on), masticate, nibble

Related Words

ruminate; munch, nosh, snack; consume, eat, ingest, swallow; bolt, devour, gobble (up or down), gorge, gulp, scarf, scoff, snack, wolf; nip, peck (at), pick (at); gum, mumble

chew

noun

Definition of chew

1 :the act of chewing

2 :something for chewing

See chew defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of chew from the Web

Answers: 1,400 / chew / elderberries Look Back Nat Turner’s rebellion—one of the bloodiest uprisings of slaves and free black people in American history—ended on this day in 1831.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: Back to Backlash," 23 Aug. 2017
His story blew up to such a degree that Trump reportedly sent Autry another signed hat after a dog used the original as a chew toy.

— cam wolf, GQ, "These Schools Banned Trump Gear—Unless They Didn’t," 22 Aug. 2017
So while these tricks won’t work on their own, having a ginger chew or even taking small sips of soda may prove beneficial for your milder days.

— jenn morson, SELF, "How to Survive Hyperemesis Gravidarum: the Morning Sickness From Hell," 18 Aug. 2017
The chews come in nine different fruit-themed flavors, and the honey taste is very slight.

— tom taylor, SI.com, "The Best Energy Gels and Bars for Running and Endurance Training," 16 Aug. 2017
Do not wear glasses that your dog has used as a chew toy.

— vincent crampton, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Staring at the sun? Get some eclipse glasses," 16 Aug. 2017
Both universities will prohibit the use of any tobacco products, including chew, snuff and dip, as well as vape products, mod boxes and electronic nicotine delivery devices.

— cleveland.com, "University of Akron, Kent State to go smoke- and tobacco-free July 1," 28 June 2017
All of the dog chew products in the recall identify an expiration date ranging from 06/01/2019 through 5/31/2020 located on the back of the package with the exception of the Enzadent and Dentahex products, according to the FDA.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "Huge recall of rawhide dog chew gets a lot bigger," 19 June 2017
The company behind rawhide dog chew products has issued a recall for multiple brands of its products over concerns of potential chemical contamination.

— Fox News, "Multiple brands of rawhide dog chews recalled over potential chemical contamination," 19 June 2017

First Known Use of chew

13th century

CHEW Defined for English Language Learners

chew

play

verb

Definition of chew for English Language Learners

: to use your teeth to cut food into small pieces before you swallow it
: to bite on (something) repeatedly with the teeth
: to make (something, such as a hole) by chewing

chew

noun

Definition of chew for English Language Learners

: the act of chewing something
: something that a person or animal chews

CHEW Defined for Kids

chew

play

verb \ ˈchü \

Definition of chew for Students

chewed; chewing

:to crush or grind with the teeth

chewing food

chew

noun

Definition of chew for Students

1 :the act of crushing or grinding with the teeth

2 :something that a person or animal chews

a dog's rawhide chew

Learn More about chew

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for chew Spanish Central: Translation of chew Nglish: Translation of chew for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of chew for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up chew? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

chew

Definition of chew

chewable

chewer

chewy

People Are Reading

Examples of chew in a Sentence

Recent Examples of chew from the Web

Origin and Etymology of chew

chew Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

chew

Definition of chew

Recent Examples of chew from the Web

First Known Use of chew

Phrases Related to CHEW

Related Phrases

CHEW Defined for English Language Learners

chew

Definition of chew for English Language Learners

chew

Definition of chew for English Language Learners

CHEW Defined for Kids

chew

Definition of chew for Students

chew

Definition of chew for Students

Learn More about chew

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

9 Slang Words With Academic Origins

Trending: 'Bodega' Startup Draws Criticism, Mockery

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Words of the Year: 1066