chew. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

chew

PRONUNCIATION:	ch
VERB:	Inflected forms: chewed, chew·ing, chews
TRANSITIVE VERB:	1. To bite and grind with the teeth; masticate. 2. To meditate on; ponder: chew a problem over.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:	1. To make a crushing and grinding motion with the teeth. 2. To cogitate; meditate: chewed on the difficulties ahead. 3. Informal To use chewing tobacco.
NOUN:	1. The act of chewing. 2. Something held in the mouth and chewed, especially a plug of tobacco. See Regional Note at chaw.
PHRASAL VERB:	chew out Slang To reprimand; scold.
IDIOMS:	chew the cud Slang To ponder over; meditate. chew the fat (or rag) Slang To talk together in a friendly, leisurely way; chat at length.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English cheuen, from Old English cowan.
OTHER FORMS:	chewa·ble —ADJECTIVE chewer —NOUN


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.