hewn
AmericanOther Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of hewn
1300–50; Middle English hewen, past participle of hew
Explanation
Something that's hewn is carved out of wood or another hard material. A hewn rock statue is cut and shaped out of a slab of stone. Your most prized possession could be a hand-hewn chair made by your grandfather, carved with a chisel out of piece of oak. A child who lives in the country might spend hours with a pocket knife making sharply hewn sticks, one after another. Hewn is the past participle of the verb hew, which comes from the Old English root heawan, "to chop, hack, or gash."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bakers at Hewn Bakery in Evanston, Illinois, are working to educate people about the length of the electoral process through what they know best — baked goods.
From Salon • Oct. 22, 2024
Today, King and her partner, Julie Matthei, co-owner of Hewn, have taken the guesswork out of a 200-year-old recipe and adapted it for anyone who wants a bite of history.
From Salon • Oct. 22, 2024
Hewn out of the land during the Industrial Revolution, they were once Britain’s main arteries of trade.
From Economist • Dec. 17, 2014
Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images Hewn from girders, concrete and glass, but delivered with love and patience, Brighton's new house has become a home.
From The Guardian • Jul. 30, 2011
Hewn out of the solid rock is "Dorothy's seat."
From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 01 Little Journeys to the Homes of Good Men and Great by Hubbard, Elbert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
