Chaw
/tʃɔː/noun
To chew, or a piece of food or tobacco held in the mouth for chewing.
Did you know?“Chaw” is an old regional and dialectal form related to “chew,” and its tobacco sense developed from the literal act of chewing a mouthful of leaf.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵewh₂-
“To chew; a reconstructed prehistoric root associated with breaking food down in the mouth.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*keuwaną
“To chew.”
Old English
Old English
cēowan
“To chew or gnaw.”
Middle English
Middle English
chawen
“To chew; an alternative form alongside forms that developed into “chew.””
16th Century
English
chaw
“To chew, especially in dialectal or colloquial usage.”
Modern English
English
chaw
“To chew, or a chewable portion of food or tobacco.”