verb
chew
choo
verb
1
To repeatedly bite and grind food with the teeth before swallowing.
"Chew your food properly before you swallow it."
"The dog chewed happily on its bone."
2
Informal: to think something over carefully.
"Let me chew on that idea overnight before I decide."
noun
1
A soft sweet, or a small toy or treat meant to be chewed.
"She gave the puppy a rubber chew to keep it busy."
How to Use Chew
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo grind food with your teeth, or informally, to mull something over in your mind.
Common mistake
"Chew on" something (an idea) is figurative for thinking about it, not literal chewing.
Common pairings
chew food
chew over
chew gum
chew toy
Word Forms
chewed past tense, chewn past tense, chews plural, Chews plural, chews singular
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_____ your food properly before you swallow it.
Etymology
From Old English ceowan, part of an old Germanic word family shared with Dutch kauwen and German kauen, going back to a very old root meaning "to grind" or "gnaw."