chew: Meaning and Definition of
chew
Pronunciation: (ch), [key] — v.t.
- to crush or grind with the teeth; masticate.
- to crush, damage, injure, etc., as if by chewing (often fol. by up): The faulty paper feeder chewed the letters up.
- to make by or as if by chewing: The puppy chewed a hole in my slipper.
- to meditate on; consider deliberately (often fol. by over): He chewed the problem over in his mind.
—v.i. - to perform the act of crushing or grinding with the teeth.
- to chew tobacco.
- to meditate.
- to scold harshly: The sergeant chewed out the recruits.
- to converse at length in a relaxed manner; chat: They liked to sit around chewing the fat.
—n. - an act or instance of chewing.
- something chewed or intended for chewing: a chew of tobacco; taffy chews.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.