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Tew

//tjuː// adv, name, noun, verb

Definitions

Adverb
  1. 1
    Pronunciation spelling of too alt-of, not-comparable, pronunciation-spelling

    "bollywood was tew good this year it was refreshing that it made it to my top genres"

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
  2. 2
    Alternative form of Tiu (the god Tyr). alt-of, alternative, rare

    "Frey and Tew were the chief gods of the Swedes and Franks, Thunder (Thórr) of the Reams and Throwends in West Norway."

Noun
  1. 1
    Prep work; labour. obsolete
  2. 2
    Fishing tackle; a rope or chain for towing a boat; a net. UK, dialectal, obsolete
  3. 3
    Trouble; worry. UK, dialectal, obsolete
  4. 4
    A cord; a string. UK, dialectal, obsolete
  5. 5
    Constant work; bustling; worry, excitement. US, dialectal
Verb
  1. 1
    To tow along, as a vessel.

    "By which the Danes had then their full-fraught Navies tew’d:"

  2. 2
    To prepare (leather, hemp, etc.) by beating or working; to taw.

    "It' I bequeath to Richard Smythe, of Steton, my best losyn sherte, a tewed bull skyn, a bushell of wheate, and a bushel of barlie."

  3. 3
    To beat; to scourge. broadly

    "with the king ran also Dyvers others, who all returning brought Cudgells and wandes in their hands all to be tewed, as if they had beaten him extreamly."

  4. 4
    To muddle; to mix up.

    "Within here, h'as made the gayest sport with Tom the Coachman, so tewed him up with Sack that he lies lashing a But of Malmsie for his Mares."

  5. 5
    To work at or worry.

    "The book was in town, I sent a Friend for it, who brought it to the governor: the priest tewed and turned it, but could not find any thing to prove his charge."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    To harangue or argue with.

    "You should have ta'en her then, turn'd her, and tewed her I' th' strength of all her resolution, flatter'd her, and shaked her stubborn will; she would have thank'd you, She would have loved you infinitely;"

  2. 7
    To tease; to vex or worry. Scotland, UK, dialectal, obsolete

    "but having received his orders early that morning from the trainer, accompanied with a warning not to suffer himself to be tewed (Yorkshire patois for worried) by anything Mr. Mellish might say, the sallow-complexioned lad walked about in the calm serenity of innocence"

  3. 8
    To work hard; to strive.

    "He 'le tug and tew, and strive and stoope to ought."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English tewen, a variant of tawen (“to taw, prepare”). More at taw.

Etymology 2

From Middle English tewen, a variant of tawen (“to taw, prepare”). More at taw.

Etymology 3

Uncertain. Perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English *tewe, *teoȝ, from Old English *tēog (“utensil, tackle, rigging”), from Proto-West Germanic *teug, from Proto-Germanic *teugą (“gear, utensil”). If so, then cognate with West Frisian túch (“rigging, tackle”), Dutch tuig (“rigging, tackle”), German Zeug (“equipment, stuff”). More at toy.

Etymology 4

Two possible origins: * English habitational surname from the villages of Great, Little and Duns Tew, in Oxfordshire, all from Old English tīewe (“row; lenghty object”) or tīwe (“meeting place, court”). * Welsh nickname for a fat man, from Welsh tew (“plump”).

Etymology 5

Anglicisation of Old English Tīw from analogy with English Tuesday (Middle English Tewesday).

See also for "tew"

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