v.
Pronunciation: ' hyü
Function: verb
Inflected Form: hewed ; hewed or hewn \ ' hyün \ ; hew · ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English h ē awan; akin to Old High German houwan to hew, Lithuanian kauti to forge, Latin cudere to beat
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1 : to cut with blows of a heavy cutting instrument
2 : to fell by blows of an ax < hew a tree>
3 : to give form or shape to with or as if with heavy cutting blows < hew ed their farms from the wilderness ― J. T. Shotwell>
intransitive verb
1 : to make cutting blows
2 : CONFORM , ADHERE < hew to tradition> ― often used in the phrase hew to the line <no pressure ⋯ on newspapers to hew to the official line ― N.Y. Times Mag. >
– hew · er noun