What does "chaw" mean?
That which is chewed.
Chaw
/t͡ʃɔ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: That which is chewed.
- Grammar: chaw is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: chew, quid, wad, bite.
- Useful contrasts: swallow.
- Usage evidence: When the doctor told him to quit smoking, Harvey switched to chaw, but then developed cancer of the mouth.
How to use "chaw"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "chaw" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "chaw" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "chaw" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "chaw" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "chaw" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "chew" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "chaw", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 That which is chewed. countable
- 2 The jaw. obsolete
"all the poison ran about his chaw"
- 3 Obsolete form of cha (“tea”). alt-of, obsolete, uncountable
- 4 a wad of something chewable as tobacco wordnet
- 5 Chewing tobacco. Appalachia, informal, uncountable
"When the doctor told him to quit smoking, Harvey switched to chaw, but then developed cancer of the mouth."
Verb
- 1 To chew; grind with one's teeth; to masticate (food, or the cud). Southern-US
"The trampling steede, with gold and purple trapt,"
- 2 chew without swallowing wordnet
- 3 To ruminate (about) in thought; to ponder; to consider. obsolete, transitive
""I home retourning, fraught with fowle despight, And chawing vengeaunce all the way I went, Soone as my loathed love appeard in sight, With wrathfull hand I slew her innocent;"
- 4 To steal. UK, slang
"Some pikey's chawed my bike."
- 5 To be sulky. dialectal, intransitive
Antonyms
Example
"When the doctor told him to quit smoking, Harvey switched to chaw, but then developed cancer of the mouth."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "chaw"?
Common synonyms include: chew, quid, wad, bite, bolus, champ.
How do you use "chaw" in a sentence?
When the doctor told him to quit smoking, Harvey switched to chaw, but then developed cancer of the mouth.
How do you pronounce "chaw"?
Pronounced /t͡ʃɔ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
An unexplained variation of chewen (“to chew”). First attested in the sixteenth century. See chew for more. Cognate with Middle Dutch cauwen ("to chew"; whence Dutch kauwen), obsolete Dutch kauw (“the act of chewing, that which is chewed, chewed mass, wad of tobacco”), Middle Low German kauwen, kauen (“to chew”). Compare also Old English ġecow (“that which is chewed, food”) and *ġeċēaw (“chewing”), whence Middle English icheu (“gnawing, biting”).
Etymology 2
From Early Modern English chawe, either a form of Middle English chaul, chavel, jawle, jawe (“jaw”) (whence also English jowl) which has lost the final -l, or from Middle English *chawe, *chowe, from Old English *ċēawe, *ċēowe (“jaw”), or a form of Middle English jowe, jawe (“jaw”). See jowl and jaw for more.