pew

noun

ˈpyü 

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

Examples of pew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Two thousand years later, the Melkite Archbishop of Tyre, Georges Eskandar, was saying mass in the stone cathedral with about one hundred people filling the pews. — Jane Arraf, NPR, 23 June 2026

The first showed him walking hand-in-hand with his sons, and the second showed Jack crouched down in a church pew as one of his sons played with toys, surrounded by coloring books and stickers. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 22 June 2026

No kicking the pew in front of you. — Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 22 June 2026

As Pino sobbed, family members of Lucy Fernandez squeezed into the wood courtroom pews behind Adams while Pino’s supporters sat behind him. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pew

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

pew

noun

ˈpyü 

: one of the benches with backs and sometimes doors set in rows in a church