To chew something, especially food or tobacco, in a deliberate grinding manner.
From Old English 'ceowan' (to chew), related to German 'kauen.' This ancient Germanic word survived the Norman Conquest and remains in use, especially in regional and working-class contexts for the act of chewing, particularly tobacco.
The word 'chaw' survived 1000 years because working people—farmers, dock workers, soldiers—never stopped using their Old English verb for chewing tobacco, while 'chew' (the Norman French replacement) won in formal contexts, creating two parallel words.
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