chew: Meaning and Definition of

chew

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