/ tʃuː; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
chew (at / on / through sth) | chew sth (up) to bite food into small pieces in your mouth with your teeth to make it easier to swallow :
[ v ]
After the operation you may find it difficult to chew and swallow.
[ vn ]
teeth designed for chewing meat
He is always chewing gum.
2.
chew (on sth) to bite sth continuously, for example because you are nervous or to taste it :
[ v ]
Rosa chewed on her lip and stared at the floor.
The dog was chewing on a bone.
[ vn ]
to chew your nails
•
IDIOMS
- chew the fat
—more at bite verb
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- chew sth over
■ noun
1.
an act of chewing sth
2.
a type of sweet / candy that you chew
3.
a piece of tobacco that you chew
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English cēowan , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch kauwen and German kauen .