CHEW

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does chew mean? 

• CHEW (noun)
  The noun CHEW has 2 senses:

1. a wad of something chewable as tobacco

2. biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow

  Familiarity information: CHEW used as a noun is rare.

• CHEW (verb)
  The verb CHEW has 1 sense:

1. chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth

  Familiarity information: CHEW used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHEW (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A wad of something chewable as tobacco

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

chaw; chew; cud; plug; quid; wad

Hypernyms ("chew" is a kind of...):

bit; bite; morsel (a small amount of solid food; a mouthful)

Derivation:

chew (chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

chew; chewing; manduction; mastication

Hypernyms ("chew" is a kind of...):

change of state (the act of changing something into something different in essential characteristics)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "chew"):

chomping (the act of chewing noisily)

gumming; mumbling (ineffectual chewing (as if without teeth))

rumination ((of ruminants) chewing (the cud))

Holonyms ("chew" is a part of...):

eating; feeding (the act of consuming food)

Derivation:

chew (chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth)

chewy ((of a consistency) requiring chewing)

chewy (requiring much chewing)

• CHEW (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they chew    ... he / she / it chews   
Past simple: chewed   
Past participle: chewed   
-ing form: chewing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

chew; jaw; manducate; masticate

Context example:

The cows were masticating the grass

Hypernyms (to "chew" is one way to...):

grate; grind (make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "chew"):

champ; chomp (chew noisily)

champ (chafe at the bit, like horses)

gum; mumble (grind with the gums; chew without teeth and with great difficulty)

chaw (chew without swallowing)

crunch; munch (chew noisily)

gnaw (bite or chew on with the teeth)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

chew (biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow)

chew (a wad of something chewable as tobacco)

chewer (someone who chews (especially someone who chews tobacco))

chewing (biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow)

 Context examples 

It is placed in the mouth, usually between the cheek and lower lip, and may be chewed.

(Chewing tobacco, NCI Dictionary)

A sweetened and flavored insoluble plastic material of various shapes which when chewed, releases a drug substance into the oral cavity.

(Chewing Gum Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Tobacco, in the form of a plug, usually flavored, for chewing rather than smoking.

(Chewing tobacco, NCI Thesaurus)

A semi-solid composed of synthetic, polymerized polysaccharide and flavorings, intended to be chewed to release active and/or inert ingredient(s).

(Chewing Gum Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A tablet designed to be chewed to release the active and/or inert ingredient(s).

(Chewable Tablet Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

It is used like chewing tobacco and is placed in the mouth, usually between the gum and cheek.

(Betel quid with tobacco, NCI Dictionary)

Treatments for ear barotrauma include chewing gum and yawning to relieve the pressure.

(Barotrauma, NIH)

A bar designed to be chewed to release active and/or inert ingredient(s).

(Chewable Bar Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A solid dosage form usually in the form of a rectangle that is meant to be chewed.

(Chewable Bar Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

A capsule designed to be chewed to release the active and/or inert ingredient(s).

(Chewable Capsule Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)