stew

Meanings

Noun

• A cooking-dish used for boiling; a cauldron.
• A heated bath-room or steam-room; also, a hot bath.
• A brothel.
• A prostitute.
• A dish cooked by stewing.
• A pool in which fish are kept in preparation for eating; a stew pond.
• An artificial bed of oysters.
• A state of agitated excitement, worry, and/or confusion.
• A steward or stewardess on an airplane or boat.

Verb

• To cook (food) by slowly boiling or simmering.
• To brew (tea) for too long, so that the flavour becomes too strong.
• To suffer under uncomfortably hot conditions.
• To be in a state of elevated anxiety or anger.

Related

Similar words

• casserole, hotpot
• bake, boil, sweat, swelter
• brood, fret, sweat, worry

Origin

• From Middle English stewe, stue, from Anglo-Norman estouve, Old French estuve (modern French étuve), from Medieval Latin stupha, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Vulgar Latin *extufāre, from ex- + Ancient Greek τῦφος ("smoke, steam"), from τύφω. See also Italian stufare, Portuguese estufar. Compare also Old English stufbæþ; see stove.
• Abbreviation of steward or stewardess.