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hew

[ hyoo or, often, yoo ]
/ hyu or, often, yu /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR hew ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), hewed, hewed or hewn, hew·ing.

to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.
to make, shape, smooth, etc., with cutting blows: to hew a passage through the crowd; to hew a statue from marble.
to sever (a part) from a whole by means of cutting blows (usually followed by away, off, out, from, etc.): to hew branches from the tree.
to cut down; fell: to hew wood; trees hewed down by the storm.

verb (used without object), hewed, hewed or hewn, hew·ing.

to strike with cutting blows; cut: He hewed more vigorously each time.
to uphold, follow closely, or conform (usually followed by to): to hew to the tenets of one's political party.

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characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction.
carried on abroad, or with other countries.
relating to or being a people who are the original, earliest known inhabitants of a region, or are their descendants.
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Origin of hew

First recorded before 900; Middle English hewen, Old English hēawan; cognate with German hauen, Old Norse hǫggva; akin to haggle

synonym study for hew

1. See cut.

OTHER WORDS FROM hew

hew·a·ble, adjectivehewer, nounun·hew·a·ble, adjectiveun·hewed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH hew

hew , hue

Words nearby hew

hevea, Hevelian halo, Hevelius, Hever Castle, Hevesy, hew, hewers of wood and drawers of water, He who hesitates is lost, He who laughs last, laughs best, Hewish, Hewitt

Definition for hew (2 of 2)

HEW

abbreviation

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to hew

cleave, fashion, prune, chip, stroke, chop, strike, shape, fell, hack, carve, hold, axe

Example sentences from the Web for hew

British Dictionary definitions for hew (1 of 2)

hew
/ (hjuː) /

verb hews, hewing, hewed, hewed or hewn (hjuːn)

to strike (something, esp wood) with cutting blows, as with an axe
(tr often foll by out) to shape or carve from a substance
(tr; often foll by away, down, from, off, etc) to sever from a larger or another portion
(intr often foll by to) US and Canadian to conform (to a code, principle, etc)

Derived forms of hew

hewer, noun

Word Origin for hew

Old English hēawan; related to Old Norse heggva, Old Saxon hāwa, Old High German houwan, Latin cūdere to beat

British Dictionary definitions for hew (2 of 2)

HEW

abbreviation for (in the US)

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012