Hew
/hjuː/
verbB2
Definition
To hew means to cut or shape a hard material such as wood or stone by striking it with a sharp tool. It often involves chopping or carving to make the material a certain shape or size. People hew wood to make beams or furniture, or hew stone to build walls or statues.
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See It in Action
To cut or chop wood or stone with a tool
- •The workers hew the logs into beams for the cabin.
- •They hewed stones from the mountain to build the wall.
- •He hewed a rough table from a large piece of oak.
(Less common) To follow or stick closely to a rule or plan (usually in the phrase "hew to")
- •The company hews to strict safety guidelines.
- •Politicians often hew to their party’s ideas.
- •We must hew to the original plan to finish on time.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "hew" like "cut," but more about rough chopping or shaping, not smooth slicing.
- ✓Picture a person with an axe chopping a big tree trunk into planks or logs.
- ✓It’s the feeling of hard, physical work shaping something solid and heavy.
- ✓Sounds like "hue" → imagine chopping wood that changes color (hue) as you cut it.
- ✓In old stories, people hew wood to build houses or hew stone for castles.
- ✓NOT like "slice" (smooth, thin cuts), "hew" is rough and strong cutting.
- ✓NOT like "carve" (detailed shaping), "hew" is more about big, rough shaping.
- ✓NOT like "break" (just separate into pieces), "hew" means cutting carefully to a shape.
- ✓NOT like "cut" in general, "hew" usually means cutting with force for shaping.
Try Other Words
- •Chop: to cut something into pieces with repeated strong hits (Use when the action is rough and forceful)
- •Carve: to cut carefully to make a shape or design (Use when the cutting is detailed and artistic)
- •Shape: to form or give a particular form to something (Use when focusing on the result, not the cutting action)
- •Cleave: to split or cut something forcefully, often into two parts (Use when the cutting splits something completely)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix) — root word "hew"
- •Etymology: From Old English "heawan," meaning to cut or strike with a weapon or tool
- •Historical development: Used since early English times for chopping wood or stone; often in stories about building or crafting
- •Modern usage: Still used in woodworking, stonework, and sometimes metaphorically for following rules ("hew to")
- •Key insight: The word connects to strong, physical cutting or shaping, often rough and forceful
Reflect & Connect
•How does the idea of "hewing" help you understand the difference between rough and smooth cutting?
•Can you think of situations where "hew" might be used metaphorically, not just for cutting wood or stone?
Fill in the blanks
1.The carpenter used an axe to hew the large log ___ into smaller pieces for the cabin.
2.When building the old castle, workers hewed stones ___ from the mountain nearby.
3.To finish the project, the team had to hew closely ___ the original plan without changes.
4.Unlike smooth carving, hew usually means cutting with ___ and force.
5.The wood was hewed ___ to fit the shape needed for the furniture.
6.If you hew too quickly, you might ___ the wood in the wrong shape.
7.The phrase "hew to the rules" means to ___ the rules carefully and not break them.