# chewing

Pronunciation: say "CHOO-ing" US /ˈt͡ʃ(j)uɪŋ/, UK /ˈtʃuːɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of chew. — present participle and gerund of chew
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of chew. Use it for the action happening now or as the name of the action.
   - _The cow stood chewing slowly in the shade by the fence._
   - _Chewing each bite carefully made the meal last much longer._

## Noun

2. The act of grinding something between the teeth; mastication.
   - Simple: The act of breaking up food with your teeth.
   - _Thorough chewing breaks food into smaller pieces before it reaches the stomach._
   - _Years of one-sided chewing had worn down his back teeth._
3. The use of loose-leaf tobacco for its juice, the leaves held and worked against the cheek.
   - Simple: Using loose tobacco leaves held in the cheek to get the juice.
   - _Chewing delivers nicotine through the cheek rather than the lungs._
   - _The dugout ban finally put an end to chewing during televised games._
4. The practice of chewing leaves of the khat plant to release their stimulant juice.
   - Simple: Using the leaves of the khat plant by chewing them for the juice.
   - _In Yemen, afternoon chewing brings neighbors together around bundles of fresh khat._
   - _Chewing releases a mild stimulant from the khat leaves held in the cheek._

## Origin

**Meaning 1** — This is the present participle form, from Middle English chewynge, from Old English *ċēowende, going back to Proto-Germanic *kewwandz, the present participle of *kewwaną ("to chew"). It is equivalent to "chew" plus "-ing."
**Meanings 2–4** — This is the noun form, from Middle English chewyng, from Old English ċīwung (also ċȳwung, ċēowung), meaning "chewing." It is equivalent to "chew" plus "-ing."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/chewing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).