Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive & transitive verb To chew.
- noun A chew, especially of tobacco.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Same as
chew , 1. - 2. Same as
chew , 2. - To be sulky.
- noun As much as is put in the mouth at once; a chew, especially of tobacco; a quid.
- noun The jaw.
- noun [This form occurred twice in the original edition (1611) of the authorized version of the Scriptures (Ezek. xxix. 4, xxxviii. 4), but in modern editions has been changed.]
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To grind with the teeth; to masticate, as food in eating; to chew, as the cud; to champ, as the bit.
- transitive verb To ruminate in thought; to consider; to keep the mind working upon; to brood over.
- noun Law As much as is put in the mouth at once; a chew; a quid.
- noun obsolete The jaw.
- noun (Law) a rustic; a bumpkin; a lout.
- noun a grinder. (Law)
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun informal, uncountable
Chewing tobacco . - noun countable A
plug orwad of chewing tobacco. - noun obsolete The
jaw . - verb nonstandard Nonstandard spelling of
chew ; togrind with the teeth; tomasticate , as food in eating; to chew, as the cud; tochamp , as the bit. - verb UK, slang To
steal .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a wad of something chewable as tobacco
- verb chew without swallowing
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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And then, before them all, this curious parson took a piece of tobacco out of his ragged pocket, and cut off a "chaw" with Mr. Troke's knife.
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The unit of currency was a "chaw" of tobacco, cut about one inch square and a quarter of an inch thick.
With Sabre and Scalpel. The Autobiography of a Soldier and Surgeon John Allan 1914
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The young rascals pursued the "chaw" as far as the
The Hill A Romance of Friendship Horace Annesley Vachell 1908
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Upon this occasion the "chaw" created such a disturbance that (on audacious demand) leave was granted to the Duffer and John to capture the offender.
The Hill A Romance of Friendship Horace Annesley Vachell 1908
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The young rascals pursued the "chaw" as far as the
The Hill A Romance of Friendship Horace Annesley Vachell 1908
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Upon this occasion the "chaw" created such a disturbance that (on audacious demand) leave was granted to the Duffer and John to capture the offender.
The Hill A Romance of Friendship Horace Annesley Vachell 1908
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Then to both men and women come the indispensable pipe and tobacco, or to the men the quid or "chaw" of this wonderful weed, all home grown in full abundance.
The old plantation : how we lived in great house and cabin before the war, 1901
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A goodly sized "chaw" bulged in his withered cheek.
The Ocean Wireless Boys And The Naval Code John Henry Goldfrap 1898
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Bunt was back at his old occupation of miner, and I-- the one loafer of all that little world of workers -- had brought him a bottle of beer to go with the "chaw"; for
A Deal in Wheat and Other Stories of the New and Old West Frank Norris 1886
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He looked at me steadily for a few seconds, as he thrust a fresh 'chaw' of betel-nut and lime into his hideous mouth, and said that I was missing a great chance -- there were plenty of white men along the coast who would be glad to get anyone of 'Parka's' wives, especially she who could make tea and cook meat.
Rídan The Devil And Other Stories 1899 Louis Becke 1884
yarb commented on the word chaw
The old crone's left cheek was puffed out as though she had a chaw in it.
- William Gass, The Tunnel
May 11, 2009
yarb commented on the word chaw
Citation on unclockwise.
June 19, 2009
madmouth commented on the word chaw
"All other griefs allow a part
To other griefs, and ask themselves but some;
They come to us, but us Love draws,
He swallows us, and never chaws"
-From Donne's "The Broken Heart"
September 28, 2010
yarb commented on the word chaw
And I for one am glad he doesn't chaw. Down the hatch I go!
September 29, 2010