Chew Meaning
/tʃuː/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo crush with the teeth by repeated closing and opening of the jaws; done to food to soften it and break it down by the action of saliva before it is swallowed.
verbTo grind, tear, or otherwise degrade or demolish something with teeth or as with teeth.
Sentence Examples
Mabel loves to chew the fat while playing bridge.
Chew your food well so it can be digested properly.
Always chew food well before swallowing it.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The dog began to ____ on a new bone for hours.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
You should ____ your food thoroughly before you swallow it right now.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English chewen, from Old English ċēowan, from Proto-West Germanic *keuwan, from Proto-Germanic *kewwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵyewh₁-. Cognate with West Frisian kôgje, Low German käwwen, Dutch kauwen, German kauen; also Latin gingīva (“gums”), Tocharian B śuwaṃ (“to eat”), Polish żuć (“to chew”), Persian جویدن (javidan), Pashto ژول (žovạl, “to bite, gnaw”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The same chewn upon maketh one to avoid much phlegm."
— 1578, Henry Lyte, A niewe Herball:
"But meanwhile Mademoiselle's book had at least been found under an arm-chair where it had been dragged, chewn up and torn to pieces by a young pug-dog or by a kitten."
— 1976, Denis Diderot, translated by Leonard Tancock, Rameau's Nephew / D'alembert's Dream:
"He wore two sweaters, both moth chewn and filthy but warm."
— 2001, Keith Douglass, Seal Team Seven 14: Death Blow:
"His left cheek seemed to have been cut and chewn awayǃ"
— 2010, Tony Reynolds, The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes:
"Old politicians chew on wisdom past."
— 1734, Alexander Pope, Epistle to Cobham:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The dog began to ____ on a new bone for hours.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
You should ____ your food thoroughly before you swallow it right now.