hew
[ hyoo or, often, yoo ]
/ hyu or, often, yu /
verb (used with object), hewed, hewed or hewn, hew·ing.
to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.
to make, shape, smooth, etc., with cutting blows: to hew a passage through the crowd; to hew a statue from marble.
to sever (a part) from a whole by means of cutting blows (usually followed by away, off, out, from, etc.): to hew branches from the tree.
to cut down; fell: to hew wood; trees hewed down by the storm.
verb (used without object), hewed, hewed or hewn, hew·ing.
to strike with cutting blows; cut: He hewed more vigorously each time.
to uphold, follow closely, or conform (usually followed by to): to hew to the tenets of one's political party.
Origin of hew
before 900; Middle English
hewen, Old English
hēawan; cognate with German
hauen, Old Norse
hǫggva; akin to
haggle
synonym study for hew
1. See
cut.
OTHER WORDS FROM hew
hew·a·ble, adjective hew·er, noun un·hew·a·ble, adjective un·hewed, adjectiveWords nearby hew
Example sentences from the Web for hewed
British Dictionary definitions for hewed (1 of 2)
hew
/ (hjuː) /
verb hews, hewing, hewed, hewed or hewn (hjuːn)
to strike (something, esp wood) with cutting blows, as with an axe
(tr often foll by out)
to shape or carve from a substance
(tr; often foll by away, down, from, off, etc)
to sever from a larger or another portion
(intr often foll by to) US and Canadian
to conform (to a code, principle, etc)
Derived forms of hew
hewer, nounWord Origin for hew
Old English
hēawan; related to Old Norse
heggva, Old Saxon
hāwa, Old High German
houwan, Latin
cūdere to beat
British Dictionary definitions for hewed (2 of 2)
HEW
abbreviation for (in the US)
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare