chew
Americanverb (used with object)
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to crush or grind with the teeth; masticate.
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to crush, damage, injure, etc., as if by chewing (often followed byup ).
The faulty paper feeder chewed the letters up.
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to make by or as if by chewing.
The puppy chewed a hole in my slipper.
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to meditate on; consider deliberately (often followed byover ).
He chewed the problem over in his mind.
verb (used without object)
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to perform the act of crushing or grinding with the teeth.
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Informal. to chew tobacco.
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to meditate.
noun
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an act or instance of chewing.
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something chewed or intended for chewing.
a chew of tobacco; taffy chews.
verb phrase
idioms
verb
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to work the jaws and teeth in order to grind (food); masticate
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to bite repeatedly
she chewed her nails anxiously
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(intr) to use chewing tobacco
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slang
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to argue over a point
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to talk idly; gossip
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noun
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the act of chewing
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something that is chewed
a chew of tobacco
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have chewedperfect
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has chewedperfect 3rd person singular
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am chewingprogressive 1st person singular
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is chewingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been chewingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are chewingprogressive
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have been chewingperfect progressive
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chewssingular 3rd person
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chewingparticiple
Past
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had chewedperfect
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was chewingprogressive singular
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had been chewingperfect progressive
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were chewingprogressive plural
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chewedparticiple
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chewedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of chew
before 1000; Middle English chewen, Old English cēowan; cognate with Old High German kiuwan ( German kauen )
Explanation
When you chew, you use your teeth to grind up food before you swallow it. It can be pretty unpleasant to watch your brother chew his pizza with his mouth open. Usually when people chew, they chew up a bite of food or chew on a candy bar. You can also chew your nails or chew your lower lip — you're not actually eating something, but just using your teeth to gnaw or bite. You can also use the word chew figuratively, to mean "think or mull over." It comes from an Old English root, ceowan, "to gnaw or chew."
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 study also builds on earlier work by Caltech physicist Steven Frautschi and UC Berkeley physicist Geoffrey Chew, who pioneered the bootstrap approach in particle physics during the 1960s.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
Citi strategist David Chew wrote favorably on China’s fundamentals in his monthly stock-market note last week.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
Hence, “there is room for further downside, especially with the oil prices still climbing,” Chew adds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew is among them, and its Chinese owner ByteDance will retain a 19.9% stake in the business.
From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026
He thought about Roza sitting in the back booth at the Chat ’n’ Chew, waiting with two ice cream sundaes and a lot to say.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
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.
