chewing

Meanings

Verb

• Present participle of chew

Noun

• The act by which something is chewed on; mastication.
• The consumption of (the juice from) the khat plant.
• The consumption of loose leaf tobacco juice from tobacco plants by chewing leaves near the cheek.

Origin

• From Middle English chewyng, chewand, from Old English *ċēowende, from Proto-Germanic *kewwandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *kewwaną, equivalent to chew + -ing.
• From Middle English chewyng, chewynge, from Old English ċīwung, ċȳwung, ċēowung, equivalent to chew + -ing.