Definition of pew
1 : a compartment in the auditorium of a church providing seats for several persons
2 : one of the benches with backs and sometimes doors fixed in rows in a church
People Are Reading
Recent Examples of pew from the Web
-
Black undergraduates held a separate event that night amid the polished pews and Greek columns of Memorial Church, Harvard’s spiritual center and the backdrop for Mr. Zuckerberg’s address.
-
The man sitting next to me in one of the back pews laughed – as did many of the others in the room.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pew'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of pew
Middle English pewe, from Middle French dialect (Picardy) puie balustrade, from Latin podia, plural of podium parapet, podium, from Greek podion base, diminutive of pod-, pous foot — more at foot
First Known Use: 14th century
PEW Defined for English Language Learners
pew
playDefinition of pew for English Language Learners
-
: one of the benches that are placed in rows in a church
PEW Defined for Kids
pew
playDefinition of pew for Students
: one of the benches with backs and sometimes doors set in rows in a church
Learn More about pew
-
See words that rhyme with pew Spanish Central: Translation of pew Nglish: Translation of pew for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pew for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pew
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up pew? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!