hew
hew Lexical Profile
hew Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To chop, cut, or shape a hard material such as wood, stone, or coal with an ax, chisel, or other heavy cutting tool.
"The carpenters used traditional hand axes to hew the oak logs into sturdy ceiling beams."
American To conform or adhere strictly to a rule, principle, or standard (usually followed by 'to').
"The documentary filmmakers chose to hew closely to the historical record rather than dramatizing the events."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'hew' with its homophone 'hue' (a color or shade, or in the idiom 'hue and cry'). As a verb, 'hew' has two standard past participles, 'hewed' and 'hewn', with 'hewn' especially common as an adjective (as in 'rough-hewn timber').
• Rhymes for hew
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'hēawan', meaning to chop or strike with a cutting instrument, of Proto-Germanic origin and related to German 'hauen'.