verb / noun
chew
CHOO/tʃuː/
To crush something with repeated bites.
The man chews his bread, holding the remaining piece away from his mouth.
Etymology
Old English ceowan already named the physical action of biting and grinding with the teeth. The food-preparation sense continues that concrete meaning.
In context
Treatment is to thoroughly chew smaller chunks of solids before swallowing
More examples
- The dog gnaws on a rubber chew.
- Let me chew on your proposal before deciding.
- He chewed the tough bread slowly.
Forms
chew · chews · chewed · chewing
Similar words
- bite
- Bite can be a single closing of the teeth; chew involves repeated biting and grinding.