hew

1 of 2

verb

hewed; hewed or hewn ˈhyün How to pronounce hew (audio) ; hewing

transitive verb

1
: to cut with blows of a heavy cutting instrument
roughly hewn logs
2
: to cut down by blows of an ax
hew a tree
3
: to give form or shape to with or as if with heavy cutting blows
hewed their farms from the wildernessJ. T. Shotwell

intransitive verb

1
: to make cutting blows (as with an ax)
2
: conform, adhere
hew to tradition
often used in the phrase hew to the line
no pressure … on newspapers to hew to the official lineN.Y. Times Mag.
hewer noun

HEW

2 of 2

abbreviation

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

Examples of hew in a Sentence

Verb They hewed logs to build a cabin. The walls are built of stones hewn by skilled craftsmen.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
In their place are figures such as JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, and Josh Hawley, the Republican senator from Missouri, who hew more closely to Trump’s brand of populist politics. Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024 The character that hews closest to Caillat’s life is Grover, the sound engineer turned producer on the fictional band’s record. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024 The potting shed, whose design is inspired by an outbuilding seen at Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, New York, is used for storage, while the 30-foot by 40-foot barn showcases wood beams hewn by local Connecticut barn builders. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2024 Artist agents find their roles less vexed, embracing a new value system that hews closer to the way the market actually operates. Natasha Degen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hew 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English hēawan; akin to Old High German houwan to hew, Lithuanian kauti to forge, Latin cudere to beat

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hew was before the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near hew

Cite this Entry

“Hew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hew. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hew

verb
hewed; hewed or hewn ˈhyün How to pronounce hew (audio) ; hewing
1
: to chop down
hew trees
2
: to make or shape by cutting with an ax
a cabin built of rough-hewn logs
3
: to stick close to : adhere
hew to the established rules
hewer noun

Medical Definition

HEW

abbreviation
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

More from Merriam-Webster on hew

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