chew

English

/tʃuː/, /tʃu/

verb
Definitions
  • To crush with the teeth by repeated closing and opening of the jaws; done to food to soften it and break it down by the action of saliva before it is swallowed.
  • To grind, tear, or otherwise degrade or demolish something with teeth or as with teeth.
  • (informal) To think about something; to ponder; to chew over.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English chewen inherited from Old English ċēowan inherited from *keuwan inherited from Proto-Germanic *kewwaną (chew) derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵyewh₁- (chew).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*ǵyewh₁-

Gloss

chew

Concept
Semantic Field

Food and drink

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Emoji

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms