hew Meaning & Definition
What Does Hew Mean?
Hew is used as a verb meaning To chop away at; to whittle down; to mow down. It can also mean To shape; to form. As a noun, it means Destruction by cutting down or hewing. As a noun, it means Hue; colour.
Hew in Brief
| Part of speech | verb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //hjuː// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | hew out |
| Plural | hews |
| Verb forms | hews, hewing, hewed, hewn |
Hew Definition (Verb)
- To chop away at; to whittle down; to mow down.
- To shape; to form.
to hew out a sepulchre
- To act according to, to conform to; usually construed with to.
- Middle English: hewen
Hew as a Noun
- Destruction by cutting down or hewing.
Noun
- Hue; colour.
- Shape; form.
Noun
- Destruction by cutting down.
Synonyms of Hew
Hew synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Hew
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Hew in a Sentence
to hew out a sepulchre
One of the most widely used typefaces in the world was hewn by the English printer and typographer John Baskerville.
Word Forms & Grammar
hew (third-person singular simple present hews, present participle hewing, simple past hewed or (rare) hew, past participle hewn or hewed or (archaic) hewen)
hew (countable and uncountable, plural hews)
Words That Rhyme With Hew
Origin of Hew
Origin 1: From Middle English hewen, from Old English hēawan, from Proto-West Germanic *hauwan, from Proto-Germanic *hawwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *kewh₂- (“to strike, hew, forge”).
Origin 2: Cognate to West Frisian houwe (“to hew”), Cimbrian hauan (“to dig”), Dutch houwen (“to hew”), German hauen (“to hew”), Luxembourgish haen (“to chop”), Danish hugge (“to hew”), Faroese høgga (“to hew”), Icelandic höggva (“to hew”), Norwegian Bokmål hogge, hugge (“to hew”), Norwegian Nynorsk hogga (“to hew”), Swedish hugga (“to hew”).
Origin 3: Sense 3 derives from the phrase hew to the line (literally “cut evenly with an axe or saw”).
Origin 4: See hue.
How to Pronounce Hew
Hew is pronounced //hjuː// and has 1 syllable.
Common Questions About Hew
Is hew a verb or a noun?
Hew is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for hew?
Words with a similar meaning to hew include hew out. See the full list of hew synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of hew?
The plural of hew is hews.
What is the past tense of hew?
The past tense of hew is hewed and the past participle is hewn. The present participle is hewing.