hew
verb (used with object)
to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.
had hewn
-
past perfectof hew.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
She grasped the clean white shaft of a miner's pick and, after four short swings with the pick, had hewn her piece of Nottinghamshire coal.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 8, 2011
A notched and broken sword lay by him, as if he had hewn at the rock in his last despair.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
The author had hewn as close to realism as his too clever lines would permit.
From Blister Jones by Jay Hambridge
It was relieved by Professor Guinness's picking up the chunk of radium ore his former partner had hewn from the cavern's wall.
From Astounding Stories, April, 1931 by Various
They had grappled with the wilderness, and had hewn out homes for themselves.
From Hero Stories from American History For Elementary Schools by Albert F. Blaisdell
